


My Type

by PaperAnn



Series: Three Things [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Gabriel, Alpha Sam, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Domestic Fluff, Double Life, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Facials, Heavy Angst, Holidays, Implied Castiel/Meg Masters, Inappropriate Humor, Knotting, M/M, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Ruby/Sam Winchester, Phone Sex, Rimming, Rough Sex, Shameless Smut, Smut, Supportive Dean Winchester, Surplus of Bar Scenes, Switching, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2018-04-24 16:32:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 199,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4926967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaperAnn/pseuds/PaperAnn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Gabriel are two men outrunning their own pasts when they run into each other.  Everything about them instantly clicks, sparks fly, and it seems too good to be true.  That's because it always is.  </p>
<p>Whether it's due to Gabriel's running off in the middle of the night trying to keep his drug-addict brother alive, Sam's friends telling him it's unnatural for two alphas to be together, or all the lies that build up between them; no matter how hard they fight for each other the world is against them.  </p>
<p>After all, there's nothing worse than meeting the perfect person at the wrong time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! The history of Sam and Gabriel before Three Things began!
> 
> This fic **can** be read all by itself! I wrote the prologue to give new Sabriel readers all the information needed to get caught up and enjoy the story without any previous knowledge of Three Things.
> 
> Note: This is _not_ a normal prequel. This is a story all of its own, with new characters, events that have never been mentioned before and pure, undiluted Sabriel  <3
> 
> Thanks go out to the fantastic [kittenbot](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kittenbot/pseuds/kittenbot) for being an incredible beta, and my cheerleader wifey [what_about_the_fish](http://archiveofourown.org/users/what_about_the_fish/pseuds/what_about_the_fish)!
> 
> Enjoy xoxo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fantastic artwork for the fic was created by the talented [Shauna](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaunaBananaaa/pseuds/ShaunaBananaaa), and her tumblr can be found [here](http://shaunashipssabriel.tumblr.com) <3

****  
  
  
  
**January 2005**

 

The way Ruby caressed his face always felt so good after he shot up, but the things she was whispering didn’t make any sense.  She was so close to his ear, and tracing her tongue along the shell and it sent borderline euphoric goosebumps down his spine.  He leaned into her touch, trying to cup her face, but she was pulling away...

_Why_ was she pulling away?

“Your brother’s trying to come between us, Sam.” Her voice held a sadness that was confirmed by her scent, and it was whirling in the alpha’s dazed state, combined with her fierce determination. “You can’t let him.  This feels right, doesn’t it?  Us?  Like this?”

She was running her hands through his hair, while his eyelids were fighting to blink, even though they felt weighed down with an invisible, heavy goo-like substance.  He was _trying_ to focus on her.  At least he could nod, because—yeah, it felt right.  He knew Ruby loved him…

There was something special about her, since they met at a Welcome Week Party at the beginning of their freshman year in college...that was August? …yeah.  Something about her— something sucked him in, and then when she introduced him to heroin in October?  He didn’t think anything could be better.

He loved this woman; as she pressed their lips together the high finally kicking in, full force, and he was grabbing at her.  Ruby…Ruby was unlike _anyone_ …she treated him unlike _anyone_ …she loved him unlike _anyone_ …it was desperate and primal, their inner animals seemed to sync up whether high or not, it was—

When Sam was tipping over a little bit, she grabbed his shoulders to haul him back up to her bed, with a giggled, “Did you take too much?”

“Dunno,” was his answer, laughing along with her, “just…stress…but, I know that—”

There was a thunderous boom on her door and Sam visibly shook from it.  It wouldn’t stop, so he covered his ears and brought his knees close to his chest.   
  
He didn’t like the noise, he didn’t want to hear it.   
  
It would ruin what he felt right now, and that wouldn’t do.  He wanted to stay caught up, lost in this ocean with Ruby, floating side by side in the weightless void.

But then, he heard Dean’s voice, shouting from the other side. “You fucking open up now, you bitch!  I can smell him in there!”

Sam could scent Ruby’s fear.  But…Ruby was fearless, so why was she…?

“You want me to call the cops?  Report this?  Or are you gonna fucking let me in?”  He threatened, and the bed lurched and shifted under Sam’s weight—which meant Ruby’s was up on her feet.

She cracked the door and all the voices, the noises blended together, because Sam _didn’t want_ to hear them.  He didn’t want them to break through his eardrums and resonate in his brain.  He didn’t want his brother to be disappointed, he didn’t want all his hard work, his getting into school, to be for nothing, but everything felt so good, Ruby felt so good, it was so hard to—

“Get out of my way!”

“You have no right to shove your way into my room!”

“Oh, you _really_ wanna go there?  What the fuck have you done to my brother?”

The door slammed behind them and Sam was choking on the intensity of unbridled, hateful scents that burned his nostrils.

“I didn’t do anything!  He _wanted_ to, he made a choice!  Don’t you dare blame this on me!”

“Fuck, Sammy—”

All of sudden, Dean’s voice was coming closer, until it was right up next to him.  He was wearing his blockers, the one that made him smell like an alpha, but they did nothing to hide his emotions.  And they were too much, too fucking much.  He was furious, filled with rage, but those scents clung to Ruby’s person, they weren’t coming for Sam.  When he was finally right there, he could tell Dean’s scent was scared. Why was Dean scared?  
  
Why was everyone scared?  Sam’s tarnished brain couldn’t comprehend why everyone in the room was tainted and overwhelmed with fear, he was so confused.

Sam felt fine, he felt _amazing_ , he felt—

“I’m taking you back to your room.” Dean tried to keep his voice even while he was helping Sam up. “You’re going on a fucking detox.”

He felt himself hoisted up, and then remembered that, oh, his feet were working, he could do this.  Although Dean was an omega who posed as an alpha, the order was taken to heart, and Sam couldn’t go against it if he tried.  He couldn’t argue.  There was no arguing with Dean, and the scent of family made it even more iron-clad.  Sam had been caught, fair and square.  He couldn’t look at his brother, because he didn’t need to…Dean’s scent didn’t lie.

Right before they reached the door, he heard Dean’s voice pitched over his shoulder, and growled, “I better not see you again, as long as I live.  You come after Sam?  You don’t want to know what I’ll do to you.”

And the threats were real.  These threats even frightened Sam himself.

Still, he tried his best to stand up straight through the hallway and down the dorm stairs, until he found himself inside a very familiar, very comfortable place.

The passenger seat of the Impala.

Dean finally grabbed his chin and made him look at him, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it up until now.

“We’re gonna get you through this, Sammy.” His determination was fierce, his eyes so green Sam tilted his head, trying to figure out the exact color from inside his daze.  “I’m moving in, at least for a little bit.  Told Bobby I needed to be up here.  I’m not leaving until you’re clean.  And we _will_ get you clean.  I _promise_.”

Sam had to tear his eyes away, and look down.  His brother had so much conviction, but Sam…wasn’t sure if he wanted to be saved.  He hated letting Dean down, but he loved Ruby, all the odds and ends that came with her…and he wasn’t sure he was willing to give that up.

One thing he was sure on, was that he needed to buckle his seatbelt.  Car safety was important.

\------------

Gabriel still had nightmares about it.

That night.

Barely getting away from the cops by the skin of his teeth.  And…losing Kali.

It was something that tore at him, every single day.  

Gabe was laying low, figuring out what to do with his life, after Kali, learning how to fly under the radar.

Fuck, what was his life even like before her?

It was a blur—because that woman, that amazing, beautiful alpha was who he was planning on spending the rest of his life with, scrambled everything else.  He didn’t have a past, all he had was a present, by her side, and a future with her.  Now?  All that was gone.  Vanished, with no chance of getting it back.

Sure, he had piles and piles of money, but he had no idea what the fuck to do with it.  He had to start over, but how was he supposed to?  He needed to get through this.  No, he _would_ get through this, because he was a fighter.  He was a survivor.  Not the fuckin’ wounded animal he was playing at.  He was a true alpha, and if he didn’t come out on top, he’d be a poor excuse for one.

First thing he did was rent out some safe deposit boxes, all different locations, all around the country.  Next, he enrolled a new account at a random bank, across a few state lines.  Spread half the money out, and held half the money close.  Then, he did the only thing he could think of.

Call up his brother, who was finishing up his thesis for his master’s degree, and hoped he could crash there.  

Thank fuckin‘ God for his little brother.

It all worked out, even though the quarters were a little tight, since Cas was still pouring his hours into his studies rather than his part time job.  Hell, you could barely call it that; the hours he worked were so few and far between.

School was Castiel's number one priority, and when Gabriel offered to help him with rent?  He couldn’t be more grateful.  Apparently, he was struggling through his thesis, more than he thought he would, and any extra help would be amazing.  He didn’t question where Gabriel got the money, and didn’t ask about Kali.

Because, deep down, he knew what happened.  Hell, he probably knew everything.  Not _only_ because parts of it had been all over the news, but because Cas was smart.  He could fill in the blanks, read his brother, figure out what he was going through.  Which involved not asking questions.

So now, Gabriel was able to plan his next move from the comfort of a garage-sale couch with renegade, broken springs that dug into his hip and ribs every night.  It wasn’t glamorous, by any means, especially given the fortune he could practically _swim_ in.

However, it was even better.  Because he was safe.  He was with family, and he could take the time he needed.

Yeah, it was _so_ much better.

**March 2005**

 

Blood, sweat and tears didn’t even begin to describe the process.

Sam should have expected it—he _really_ should have—but Dean was going to do right by him to get him clean.  Ever since they were young, and the omega posing as an alpha raised him, he’d _do_ anything, _give_ anything for Sam.

Hell, he had Bobby call up the university, explaining there was a family emergency and Sam needed the semester off.  Dean had to figure out how to use Sam’s laptop and withdraw him from all of the classes he’d signed up for winter semester.  That had involved a lot of cursing and bitching, not to mention Sam begging Dean not to throw it against the wall.  
  
In a moment of clarity and self-disgust, Sam realized he didn’t have the money for a new one.  He’d pissed it all away on drugs.

They tried to cover all their bases, so no one knew what was really going on.

Once again, Dean was here.  He’d save him.

It was the hardest thing he had to do in his life.  The withdrawal symptoms were tearing him apart, it was a nightmare.

He felt like he constantly had a battle going on inside his head while his body turning against him, and he had to fight Dean, tooth and nail, begging about tapering down.  Because he felt like he was dying; going cold turkey _wasn’t working_ , it was _destroying_ him.

And Dean had to admit, as did his scent, he felt like it.  It looked as though his brother was dying, too.

So, as much as he fucking hated it, Dean let him do it that way.  But he hovered.  The omega was the only one to control the drugs, he was the one who hid them, and he took the risk of getting caught with them, ready to take the fall for Sam during the process.

Even when they tapered off, he felt like he was consumed by the same sickness he felt before, even though it wasn’t as rough.

It was an ironic blast from the past.  Dean always had Gatorade for him; the electrolytes he needed, anything he could stomach without throwing up, the things that would keep his body going without turning on itself.  The things that would keep him alive without a medical staff and actual recovery and withdrawal equipment and medication.

Sam didn’t know how he could do it.  How was Dean able to go this long without working?  Didn’t he have a life back in Kansas?  Didn’t he have bills, and an apartment, and...?

Anytime he asked those questions, he was shut down.

More than anything, ‘Sam came first.  And the other things were taken care of.’

The months passed in a daze. Dean was able to get his hands on—probably from the same dealer who he was getting the heroin from, when he was tapering down—some anti-anxiety meds.  In the final stretch, it wasn’t about his body anymore.

It was about his mind.

Could he live like this?  Could he live sober?

He was terrified to go out in the world again, but before he could use these pills as a crutch, Dean recognized what was happening.  His older brother slowly weaned him off those, too.

And Sam could use _him_ as a crutch.

Dean was going to move in with him, as long as he needed.  To be his support system, and while it may have annoyed others, Sam couldn’t have been more grateful to have his big brother hovering.

\----------

While channel surfing one day, Gabriel caught Castiel coming into the apartment, and heading right for his room.

No hello, no ‘how was your day,’ no _nothing_.

Which was weird.  Because Cas was the kid that always had the manners of a goddamn Southern belle.

But, instead, he was tripping over his own feet, and shutting his door.

Gabriel, being the obnoxious brother that he was, shouted through the small apartment, “Good to see you too, brother dearest!”

Which received no response.

It was around that time when Gabriel began getting suspicious of Cas’ lack of communication.  With him, at least.  The young alpha was staying out late, practically every night, at random parties and bars—which made no sense.

He’d finished his thesis, turned it in early and there were schools _fighting_ for him, throwing out numbers right and left for scholarships for him to get his PhD at their university.  Gabriel was nosy as hell, and went through the mail, every day, to see these.  One day, when he was taking out the trash, he could see the outline and university’s logo envelope through the white plastic trash bag.  Apparently, Cas didn’t give a shit—even though (before) it had been his dream to earn his doctorate.  So, what changed?

It confused Gabriel to no end.

Castiel had always been so focused, so determined and, Gabriel swore to God, a damn genius.

Which made him corner his brother one night.  It was before he was headed out to a bar—on a Tuesday (who the fuck even goes to bars on Tuesdays?!)—stopping him by grabbing his wrist and swinging him to the couch.

“Hey.  Long time no see,” Gabriel began, to the wide eyed alpha in front of him.  “What’s going on with you?”

Cas tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean, what’s going on?”

“I thought you’d be responding to all the schools who wanna suck your dick for your brain, but it doesn’t seem like you’re interested.  What changed?”  He leaned forward, trying to see if he could get anything out of his brother.

The really strange thing was he was wearing _blockers_.  Like, the heavy-duty kind, and Cas had never done so in the past.  What was he missing here?  What was the puzzle piece that had been kicked under the couch?

“I believe I’ve wasted too much time in school.”  His answer was candid.  “There’s too much life out there to be living, not hunched over a desk, praying for a professor’s approval, day in and day out.  It doesn’t make sense, when you think about it.  Why am I studying philosophy, when I have no real-world experience?  There’s much more to learn outside of books.”

“All right.” Gabriel narrowed his eyes, because, okay—he couldn’t argue with that.  “But going out every night?  What kind of philosophic goal’s that achieving?”

“I believe it to be none of your business.” A goofy smile stretched across his face, before he asked, “Am I dismissed?”

“You’re high, aren’t you?”

“And hungry.  I must get to McDonald’s before they close.”  Castiel stands up, abruptly—in mission-mode—before grabbing his jacket.  “After all, drinking on an empty stomach is always a terrible choice.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Gabriel sighed, and collapsed back into the cushions of the couch.  “Be safe, I guess.  Call me if you get too hammered, don’t you _dare_ fuckin’ drive home.”

Cas smiled at him and nodded, before disappearing out the door.

Now, Gabriel was even more confused than before.  Sure, his reasons were legit.  But his actions?  Fuck, he needed to keep a closer eye on the kid.  Lately, Gabriel had been out and about just as much as he’d been at the apartment.  He was about ready to finally rent something for himself, scoping out the city and potential jobs, but was now the best time?

He never thought he’d have to worry about _Cas_ , but he was beginning to.

 

**September 2005**

 

School was a bit of a shock to Sam, to be honest.

Dean gave him a pep-talk, like he was going off to fuckin’ war—but in a way, he was.

Before he could enroll in his classes, he met with a bunch of his professors, as well as the main financial aid office that had given him his scholarships.  He was crossing his fingers and about to sell his soul to make sure he was able to keep them.

When he explained the situation to a kind woman, about his ‘family crisis,’ she confirmed she’d received word from his uncle and his brother.  Apparently, Dean had told her their ‘situation’ was hitting Sam hard, and he wasn’t in good enough shape to take care of anything in such a capacity.

Of course, she said, they still wanted him here.  She confirmed he was a smart kid, and life happens.  However, he needed to catch up with his classmates in the pre-law program.  Since missing that semester, they’d left him in the dust.  The university had specific plans and their own design for the incoming classes, and part of it was the fact they needed to stay together.

Sam implored, with his best puppy eyes, he’d take as many credit hours as possible, and all the spring and summer classes his scholarship would fund.

The woman was impressed by his initiative, and agreed with his course of action—as long as his GPA remained above a 3.5.

Which would be a piece of cake, for Sam.

When he told Dean the news, he was thrilled.

Although neither voiced it, they were both terrified this ‘bump’ in the road could have ruined Sam’s entire life.  It _would_ have, if his older brother hadn’t stepped in.

If he and Bobby didn’t handle the situation.

It was Russian roulette every day he had been with Ruby, and he now knew it.  Now that he was looking at it through unclouded eyes.  He could have lost, not only his chance at an education, he could have lost his _life_.

Dean saved him.

They celebrated his first day back at school with pizza and beer, since Sam honestly never really drank, and knew he’d never fall into that pit.  Addiction ran in their family, and their late father had a penchant for alcohol.  Both the Winchesters treaded lightly because of what they’d witnessed as children, and made promises to each other (almost in memoriam) that the only time they’d drink was in celebration.  Not to escape, as John had when he came back from the war.

The celebration was a victory meal and putting on whatever ‘nerdy show’ (Dean’s words) Sam wanted to watch, because they were celebrating him and his future.  Thankful, that he fought hard enough to have one.

\------------

Finally having his feet under him, in an unassuming apartment in the middle of the city, felt good to Gabriel.  He was working an insignificant job, where no one would recognize him, and life was beginning to feel normal again.  Which was something he never thought he’d want, but somehow the thought of normalcy was the most appealing thing out there.

And, fucking _finally_ , here he was.

He had invaded Cas’ space for too long, but apparently _Cas_ had invaded _Cas’ space_ , as well.

Cas informed his brother he was moving out.  But…the text and delivery _wasn’t_ what he was expecting, especially at three in the morning:

_lord ofthe land kickes me out syaying with meg bc im moneyless_

Of course, being the light sleeper Gabriel had always been, he took one look at the phone and immediately responded:

_what happened to your job at the coffee shop?_

_Fired 2mnths ago_

_wtf u haven’t had job in 2 month??!?!!_

_nope_

_why didn’t you tell me I could have helped u out_

_Its allgood megs nice shes letting mestay_

The name sounded familiar, and while Gabriel wasn’t about to ask for her last name, address and social security number like an overbearing father—why the _hell_ was she letting Cas stay there for free?

Shit.  Now, he remembered where he’d heard Meg’s name before.  It was because one of the nights he’d been out with Cas, he’d _recognized_ her.  She was one of the local drug dealers in the area, known for her discretion because she was just another pretty-faced omega who no one would suspect carried the hard stuff.

Fuck.

This had been a thought of Gabriel’s itching at the back of his mind for a good, long time now.  If _this_ wasn’t confirmation?  He didn’t know what was.  His goddamn brother was most definitely caught up in the wrong crowd, and playing house with some goddamn dealer bitch who wasn’t making him pay rent.  If that wasn’t sketchy to begin with, he didn’t know what was.  So, he had to type back:

_whys she letting you stay for free is she a saint?_

_nope she sayd I can ‘payher in sex.’_

The hits just kept coming.  Great.  So now his little brother was a fuckin’ prostitute, too?  It was too late—or early—for this.  So, all he wrote back was:

_use protection_

And fell back asleep.

 

**March 2006**

 

It was one of those days where something pops out at you, seems to follow you around, and you can’t escape it.

For Sam, today, it happened to be the _date_.

He’d glance up, during class, and his eyes would land on the calendar.

He’d looked down at his phone to answer a text message from his brother, and notice the date before the time.

Because today?

Was his ‘official’ one year sober anniversary.

It was surreal.

He was able to stand on his own two feet, falling back into the swing of school, but he had to keep to himself.  He knew, by now, he had an addictive personality.  So he never let anyone in.  He wasn’t sure why, or if there even was a reason, but he heard through the grapevine Ruby had transferred.

He wasn’t sure if it had been because of his brother’s threat, or something else.  Either way, it was a blessing.

Dean stayed as long as he could, but the second he got the call from Bobby that Karen was sick, he couldn’t stay with Sam anymore.

Sam assured him he’d done more than enough, and he was confident he’d be fine.  He wrapped his arms around his brother, thanking him, and telling him to call him when he got home.  Dean made ridiculous time in his Baby, but it was good he left when he did.

Karen passed away the following week.   
  
Bobby needed Dean much more than Sam needed Dean’s company.    
  
He couldn’t even imagine what it was like for his brother; he went through life with a smile, but he literally saved person after person.  And Dean would brush off any compliment, or say the giver was being dramatic.

But they _weren’t_.

His brother really was amazing, and Sam was going to keep up everything he’d fought for, everything _they_ had fought for, until his last breath.

When someone in the hallway actually stopped and asked him the date, that was the second he realized there was something he _needed_ to do.  These were signs—they were popping up everywhere, and he couldn’t ignore them anymore.

It had been a struggle to pick up the pieces, but he did it.

Now he wanted to confront his demons, in a way.

So, after school, he decided he was going out to celebrate.

It wasn’t going to be a huge party or bar crawl with his friends, headed downtown to all the campus bars, no.  It wasn’t just because Sam didn’t really have any friends to go out with, either.

He was going to revisit someplace he hadn’t been in over a year.  To prove he was better.  To prove he had conquered everything.  He was confident while he got dressed, even though he was a bit nervous that the idea had even popped into his head.

It had now settled into his bones.

He grabbed all the things he’d need, called for a cab and waited inside for the phone to ring to confirm they’d arrived.  
  
When he told the driver where he was heading, the name of the bar made it’s way past his lips for the first time in a year, like a blast from the past.  But it was something he had to do, and he was ready.  
  
\----------

He was fighting a losing battle.  There was no doubt in Gabriel’s head, because Cas was getting worse and worse.  Well, the worst of the worst had kind of hit a plateau, but now his life was completely consumed by drugs and sex.

Gabriel _never_ saw it coming.  Never in a million fucking years.

But Castiel made a promise to him.

If he was ever in trouble, if he ever needed help, anywhere, anytime, Gabriel would be there for him.

And _both_ stayed true to their promise.

Gabriel had pulled him out of some heavy shit; managed to get him out of some house parties gone wrong before the cops got there.  Got him home when he thought he took too much of something, but it was really just a bad trip.  He’d taken him to the clinic one time when he got an STD.  Hell, he’d gone the extra mile and helped _Meg_ out when Cas asked him to.

He didn’t like the chick very much, but she watched out for Cas, in her own way.  Gabriel was convinced it was because she was in love with him.  Castiel had already been hooked on drugs before Meg, so he couldn’t blame her for that.  Plus, there had been times she’d been the one to call him when she and Cas needed a DD, when his brother was convinced he could drive.  His relationship with Meg was a love-hate sort of deal.  While she was an enabler—which came with the territory of being a dealer—she was also strangely responsible in her drugged-up hazes.

The good thing was, Cas wasn’t hiding anything from Gabriel.  He didn’t (really) have to worry, because Cas would check in.  He would reach out when he was in trouble.

A lot of drug users wouldn’t do that.  Especially if it had to do with family; they’d more than likely hide the fact they were addicts altogether.  But Castiel and Gabriel had a close relationship, Gabe having practically raised him, and Cas allowed him to take care of him, because it’s what he’d been doing their whole lives.

That didn’t mean Gabriel wasn’t frustrated as fuck.  It was a whole additional job; he was moonlighting as a bodyguard and babysitter to his little brother.  But tonight he was saying fuck it.

He’d reached the point that he knew Cas had out-partied himself the night before, and he’d be sleeping the day all the way through and into the night.

So, Gabriel was headed out to get fucking _trashed_ , and blow off some steam.

It was, more than likely, one of the few chances he’d get to do so.  Just because he was that fucking awesome of a brother.  Another plus—he didn’t have to work tomorrow.  

He showed up at one of the bars he’d gone to with Cas, one of the bars no one looked down their nose at you when you were looking to get wasted.  And so what if Gabriel had a bit of a shady past, this was his kind of bar, with his kind of people.  The awning and the fizzling lights of the bar’s sign glowed in a welcoming way, and he was more than ready to drain as much alcohol as his body would allow.

So let the fuckin’ party begin.

 


	2. Chapter One

**March 2006**

The glowing letters of the marquee out front were casting a light down on him with a foreboding hue—one that Sam was more than familiar with, and out of all the places on campus or off campus, this was the first place Sam thought of.  Maybe because it held so many fond memories, turned nightmares.  Maybe, because when he entered, he was going to feel a sense of accomplishment.

He decided to do this alone.

Since this was something he needed to do for _himself_.

It was the type of bar he’d go to with Ruby, where the hand-off between money and drugs were easier than buying a drink at the counter.

However, when he handed the doorman his fake ID and he was allowed inside, that’s all he was doing.

Buying a drink at the bar.

The place was exactly how he remembered it.  It took hole-in-the-wall bar to a new level.  Although it wasn’t sleazy, it was _shady_.  The lights were dim to the point that, if it wasn’t dark outside, you’d have stop in your tracks to allow your eyes to adjust.  The scents in here were the same.  You could smell the sweat, the dirty kind of attraction between men and women who were here to hook up.

Nothing was classy about it.

Although the drugs were covered by blockers, those in the scene also knew they were tinged by something sweet.  It wasn’t something the cops had knowledge of—if this place was visited or worse, broken into—they’d assume it was some omega’s perfume, or an alpha’s tacky cologne.  But the scent of orchids?  That’s where you’d head for cocaine.  The barely-there hint of lilacs?  That’d be luring you towards meth.  Pills were always covered in a musky, hippy patchouli scent, but what he was normally here for...had him twitching like Pavlov’s dog.  The scent of citrus lead you to the heroin.

It was the bar’s best kept secret.

He was here to show the world, and show himself, how he’d beaten it.

Although, he could feel a sweat coming on, this was it.

This was his anniversary—one year sober from the drugs.

What a long year it had been.  He couldn’t have done it without his brother. God, he was so fucking thankful for Dean.  However, if his brother knew that he had come here to celebrate, he would have flipped the fuck out and told him hell no.  So, to placate him, he told his Dean, via text, he was spending his ‘special day’ watching TV with a six pack of beer.

As he seated himself at the bar, and a pretty blonde came over, the six pack transformed into, “Can I get Jack and coke?  And a shot of Jameson?”

She smiled at him, and cooed, “Comin’ right up, sugar.”

He pulled out his card, because he was planning on starting a tab tonight.  Thankfully, it was a Friday, and he had nowhere to be tomorrow, not to mention the bar was jam-packed and he would go unnoticed.  He knew as soon as he walked through those doors that he was going to be hit with a rush of nostalgia, but this was the perfect place to work it out.  Lay things to rest, in his own mind.  Because he was better than this.

And so what if, after he took the shot, he asked for another?

No one was here, no one was invited along to judge him.  He couldn’t give a fuck less.

\------------------

The gorgeous omega, who had her arm wrapped around Gabriel’s waist, was scenting his neck and giggling, “Why won’t you give me any clues?”

She batted her eyelashes and gave him an adorable pouty face, before she suggestively took a sip through the straw of her drink.

“Because then, darlin’, what’s the point of blockers?”  He threw back the shot the bartender had set in front of him and teased, “Besides, I can tell,” he lifted his palm to cup her face, “it doesn’t matter to you, either way.”

Her grin turned sultry as she leaned into his touch, and then was pulled towards his lips—

—but their lips never touched.

Because Gabriel was suddenly _very_ distracted.

He turned his head to a scent, and followed the movement of a tall, handsome alpha who’d entered the bar, and immediately placed his order.  The fact he could scent him from all the way over here was surprising, since the room was filled with strong odors, and the woman in front of him would probably hop on his dick, right now, if he let her.

Gabriel couldn’t drag his eyes away, as he ordered shot after shot, until the woman wrapped around him grabbed his hand and tugged his attention back to her.

“Wanna get another drink?”  She asked, biting her lower lip in an attempt at seduction.

She was obviously undeterred by the fact Gabriel had (it was an accident, really) ducked away from her kiss.  Damn, this girl was thirsty.  In _both_ ways.

So, he gave her one of his award-winning grins and nodded, “I think that’s a great idea.”

\-----------

It didn’t take long, at the rate Sam was going, to get a good buzz.  He changed his Jack and coke over to straight whiskey on the rocks, as the memories came flying back.  Ruby and him hustling pool for drug money over in the corner.  A skill he had taught her, and Sam had learned from his big brother.  She was amazing at it.  She could play off the sweet and innocent, ‘wait, so I’m stripes?  Why would I hit a solid black ball, then?’ like a pro.  She could play a lot of things.

Hell, in a way, she played _him_.

There was no doubt, in Sam’s mind, she loved him.

But her love was cruel and selfish.  She’d rather have him fall apart, with her, than let him have a real life anywhere else.  It was a joke, in a way.  Because weren’t the people you gave your heart to supposed to make you better?  Help you thrive and reach your greatest potential?

When Dean said she was poison, those were the words that resonated.  Because she really was.

He tossed back shot number I-have-no-fucking-idea, when he caught sight of a man and a woman about four stools down.

The omega was beautiful, the ideal every alpha would fight over—perfect body, amazing features, and a serene (yet sensual) smile that glowed brightly.

Except...the man with her?  Somehow, his smile glowed _brighter_.

And Sam couldn’t take his eyes off him.

It was strange.

His body language was comical; it was as though Sam knew exactly what he was talking about from clear over here.  The expressions he made, the life in him was indescribable.  The omega was hanging on his every word, until they both took a shot, together.

Except that once the man slammed his glass down to the table, he didn’t look back to the blonde.

He glanced over in _Sam’s_ direction.

And winked.

The alpha’s head whipped away, knowing he’d been caught, and could feel a blush rising to his cheeks for God knows _what_ reason.  Why was he staring in the first place?  Did the guy know he was watching him?  Hopefully, he thought he was checking out the beautiful girl he was with, instead.  But then again, he didn’t want to get into a fight tonight, that was the last thing he wanted.

Shit.

Apparently, this bartender was amazing—he was pretty sure her name was Jess—and scented his alarm.

She leaned over the counter and asked, “You due for another one?”

“Y-yeah,” was his choked answer, “that’d be awesome.  Thank you.”

Who knew if it was because he was a little beyond tipsy that made him stare, openly, because that wasn’t like him.  It wasn’t like him at all.  One thing was for sure, he wasn’t thinking about his past any longer.  He was thinking about being embarrassed as hell and not knowing what the fuck he was doing, checking the guy out _instead_ of the girl!

With a heavy sigh, he pulled out his phone, to make it look like he was doing something because, at the current moment, he felt like someone was watching him.  And now he didn’t want to look like the loser he was, going to a bar, alone, to get drunk.

Except, he wasn’t even sure who the hell to text.  Because when he got clean, he didn’t just give up heroin, he gave up the majority of his friends.  He gave up the scene.  All his life consisted of, now, was working his way through college.  And...that was it.  

Sure, he had school friends, but none that he’d text at—what was it?  Well after midnight?  They had lives, were probably either sleeping from the long hours they pulled at their jobs, or were exhausted from studying.  Pre-law did the same to him, but he’d made an exception for tonight.

Dammit, maybe the six-pack and TV lie he’d sent to Dean would have been the best way to go.

No, fuck it.  This phone thing wasn’t working, so when Jess came back with a refill on his whiskey on the rocks he said, “I’m gonna head out to the smoking patio for a sec.  But I’ll be back soon.”

“Want me to hold your spot?”  She asked with a laugh. “Looks like you’ve got the best seat in the house to check out you-know-who.”

“Excuse me?”

Had he heard her right?

“I’m a bartender,” she leaned in and whispered, “I literally serve up liquid courage for people to talk to each other, and, more than likely, get laid.”

“Yeah, but it looks like she’s already taken,” Sam chuckled and lied through his teeth while he stood up.

She rolled her eyes, heavily, “You and I both know you’re not checking out blondie.”

“I’m going for a smoke,”  was his curt answer, before he turned tail and took off.

Was it _that_ obvious?  Or did the woman just have a keen eye?  Oh well, he needed a cigarette, like, yesterday. He was surprised he had gone this long.  Not to mention that he needed to remove himself from the situation, since the phone thing wouldn’t work.  At least his latest bad habit would give him an excuse and something to do, before he made even more of an ass out of himself.

\---------------

When Kate (or was it Cathy? Oh well, didn’t matter to him) suggested another drink, Gabriel made sure to lead them close enough to the bar, to where he could analyze this alpha’s scent, better.  If it had distracted him halfway across the room, who knew what it would be like, at a closer proximity?

He wasn’t obvious though.  And he let the omega hang off him, still trying to scent him when she wanted, and ‘work her magic’ to get into his pants.

“You thinking about a shot or another drink, babe?”  He asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and she preened under the attention.

“Both…” she drew the words out, then added, “Maybe after we finish, we could get outta here?”

“There’s a good chance we can make that happen,” he responded to play the game, and asked, “So, you getting a refill?  What kind of shot?”

The blonde bartender was already over there, attentive and damn good at her job, asking, “I know you’re all about the sugary ones, Gabriel.”

“Caught me!”  He raised his hands in front of him and laughed it off, “But what does the lady want?”

“I’ll have what you’re having,” her hand was resting on the small of his back.

While they chatted casually he could scent exactly what he came here for.  The alpha.  His scent carried curiosity, piqued with some kind of interest, and it was fifty million times better than the blatant lust radiating from this omega.  He wasn’t positive…but he had a feeling about something.

Something he _had_ to confirm, because his _own_ curiosity was getting the better of him.

The bartender brought back their shots, and Gabe was paying while he went, so he slid her another twenty.

He clinked his glass with the woman who was giving him those bedroom eyes, and tossed the shot back.

Except, right when he set the glass down, he looked over his shoulder.

And his suspicion was confirmed.

The alpha wasn’t looking at his date, he was looking right at him.

Which most _certainly_ earned a wink.

The alpha knew he was caught, and Gabe watched him for a few seconds, to see exactly what he was going to do, but he froze up.  And it was pretty damn adorable, he thought.

What broke him out of his trance was the two refills being slid towards them, which they snatched up and headed back to their table.  The conversation was dull, she continued making innuendoes and seducing him with a surprising amount of skill, that totally would have worked, if his attention wasn’t elsewhere.  He kept glancing to the object of his interest, who was now fidgeting uncomfortably, and the omega in front of him didn’t even notice.

She was three sheets already.

Not to mention, she’d long since broken the seal.

She stood up, saying, “I’ll be right back, gotta go to the little girl’s room,” and went as far as to grab his collar and haul him in for a kiss.

So, sue him if he returned it, and lingered there before she smiled and strutted away.

Fuck, what was wrong with him?  This chick knew what she was doing, she was the perfect combination of beautiful and sexy, and all she wanted to do was go home with Gabriel tonight.

This time, he didn’t have to hide the fact that he could stare, openly, at the bar.

And when he did, the alpha was gone.

Shit.

He had to move fast, because once he had his mind set on something, nothing stood in his way.

Gabriel asked one of the people he’d been mingling with at the table next to them if they’d watch their seats, and they happily agreed, while Gabe grabbed his drink and hustled to the bar.

The woman raised an eyebrow, while there was a mischievous smirk on her face as she said, “Didn’t think I’d see you back so soon, Gabe.”

“So, this is gonna sound all sorts of stalker-y, but—”

“Back patio.  Smoking.” She didn’t even look up from where she was mixing some other patron’s drink.  “Go get him, Tiger.”

“That obvious?”  He had to ask.

“Not you,” the omega shook her head with a smile on her face, “but _he_ was.”

Something predatory crossed Gabriel’s face, and he knew it, but he didn’t care.  This was the perfect scenario.  He already had his pack in his pocket, which was a perfect excuse to follow him and see just how obvious this young alpha could be.  Because his intrigue was getting the best of him.  Like it always had a habit of doing.

\----------------

Sam was leaning back in one of the cheap outdoor chairs, legs crossed, his arms just long enough for the ashtray to be within reach.  This, right here, was also a very familiar place.  There was a nook around the corner of the patio, with just enough of a hole in the fence to where you could sneak out into the restaurant’s patio, next door.  They’d always be closed by the time their group of friends were there, so it’d be easy to snort a freshly-purchased line, and then sneak back into this bar for a cigarette.

The smoking thing was new.  It was a substitution for when he became stressed, but he figured if he overcame his heroin addiction, this would be easy.

He simply wasn’t ready to quit this one, yet.

His focus was upward, to the sky, where the city smog covered the stars that he used to be able to see when he’d grown up in Kansas.  He liked the city, there was no doubt about it, but it took some getting used to.  And it took him a while to find his way.

He was halfway through his second cig when he heard a voice ask, “Have a light?”

Sam jerked out of his reverie, because no one else was out here.  Not only was he surprised, but when he followed the voice—it was the man he’d been caught gawking at inside the bar.

He cursed himself, and repeated in his mind to play it cool.  The alcohol helped with that.

“Yeah.” He dug into the inside of his coat jacket and pulled out an obnoxious neon green lighter he’d pocketed from his friend.

Watching the man’s lips wrap around the cigarette while he lit it was distracting, so he found himself taking a larger chug of his drink than he’d intended to.  And it fuckin’ burned going down.

“Gabriel,” the man said, with a smile on the exhale, handing the lighter back.  “And you are?”

“Sam.” He took the object and tucked it away again.

“So, Sam.  You waiting on someone?  Can’t imagine a hottie like you got stood up on a date.  What’s your story?”  Gabriel dove right in with a smile.

Which took the alpha aback. “Uh, I used to come here.  A lot.” Sam began, not quite sure how he felt under the scrutiny of the man’s eyes. “Stayed away, for a lot of reasons.”  He took a long drag on his cigarette, and noticed the man followed his every movement, which made him gain a little bit of confidence.

“Today’s my one year sober anniversary,” he finally got out, with a wry smile.

“Sober, huh?”  Gabriel mused. “Now, I know for a _fact_ , that ain’t Pepsi in your glass.  There’s more to that story.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot more,” Sam agreed.  “Got rid of a lot of poison from my life.  Poisonous relationships, people, things.  Liquor and cigarettes?  These are my current vices, and I consider myself doing pretty good.”

The man leaned in further, “And this is you, celebrating your one year?”

“Yeah?”  Sam guessed, looking at the man in confusion.  “Is there something wrong with it?”

With a nod, and another drag of his cigarette, Gabriel pointed out, “Drinking to celebrate with friends, is good.  Drinking alone?  Is sad.”

Now, Sam felt somewhat affronted, “Oh, sorry for being pathetic.  I didn’t _ask_ for your judgment, I—”

“Gabe!  I’ve been looking all over for you, shoulda known you were out here.” The blonde omega walked right through the back door and plopped herself on Gabriel’s lap.  “That’s a bad habit, you know,” was her casual comment, as she slung her arm around his shoulder and took a sip of her drink.

“Well, I’m a bad boy,” he sent her a wink, which had her giggling, and made Sam want to make his exit, right then and there.

She leaned in and whispered, “Do you wanna take me home now?”  while nipping at his earlobe.

“I think that’s a great idea, you‘ve had a lot to drink, sugar.” He looked up at her with a smile.  “Do you want me to call you a cab?”

Confusion leaked onto her expression, because the next word out of her mouth was a baffled, “What?”

“See, Katie—”

“It’s Katrina—”

“Katrina, my bad, I’ve got a friend, here, and we’re celebrating a huge milestone in his life.  So.  I’m not about to leave quite yet.”

She abruptly and ungracefully got off his lap, and looked between the men in frustration. “You said you were alone tonight.  You didn’t tell me you were meeting up with any friends.  Or else I would have—”

“Would have what?”  Gabriel challenged, with a smile.  “I understand you fell for my devilish charm and good looks, but some days I like to play hard to get.  Turns out, today is just one of those days.  And, Sam, here, needs a friend to celebrate with.  No hard feelings?”

Her jaw was dropped as she looked between the two men, having no idea how to respond, before she turned on her heels and stomped off.

“Why did you just…?”  Sam’s eyes were as wide as hers.

“You’re supposed to be celebrating, duh.  I happen to be _excellent_ at celebrations. And I can tell you didn‘t chose to be alone, it just happened.” With one last inhale of his cig before putting it out in the ashtray, Gabriel challenged, “Unless, I read the situation wrong.  With the whole, you looking at me longingly from across the bar?”

All right, it was then that Sam threw back the rest of his drink, and reveled in the fact that he was, indeed, drunk.  So why not?

“Nope.  You were right.”

“Perfect!”  Gabe announced with a snap, “Whattya say we go back inside, grab a table and chat?  Hopefully Cathy—”

“Katrina—” Sam corrects with a goofy smile.

“ _Katrina_ ,” the man emphasizes, with a snort and a roll of his eyes, “leaves us alone.”

“All right,” Sam nodded, finishing his cigarette, as well.  “I need a refill, anyway.”

\---------

Sam honestly had never expected his night to turn around like this.  He’d come here as a way to say farewell to his old life, but now he was sitting in a corner booth drinking and laughing with a stranger.

However, this stranger didn’t feel like one, at all.  It felt like they’d known each other for years.  They chatted about anything and everything through the night.  Even though Sam skirted around the issue of his sobriety, Gabriel took the hint and didn’t push him to bring it up.  The only thing he felt bad lying about was his age.  

They played a guessing game, Gabriel deducted that if Sam and his friends used to come here a lot, and this was his ’one year anniversary’ he had to be at least twenty-three - and Sam’s fake ID said twenty-four, so that worked out well.  After a few basic questions to get to know the other person, things took a turn for the outrageous.

In the way of guessing games, that is.  Maybe it was to make the other laugh or maybe they were just too intoxicated to care about making any sense.  The off-kilter humor brought a smile to Sam’s face, as well as the revelations about each other they randomly came up with.  Like, what Gabriel did for a living, which Sam never honestly figured out.  They settled on race car driver by day, drag queen by night, even though they both knew it was far from the truth.

Sam didn’t say he was a student, because that may raise some red flags about his age.  They pretended he was a lumberjack, because of his flannel; and he rode motorcycles to work, because of his leather jacket.  He also may or may not have been affiliated with a group like Sons of Anarchy.

None of it made sense, but it was fun.  The most honest to goodness fun Sam had had in a long fucking time.

There was never a lull in the conversation, no awkward ‘first date’ pauses, and one of the first things he found out about Gabriel was that the man had no filter.

Which was probably why he was trying to suppress a snort, as Gabriel made a particularly inappropriate joke about how the last chick he’d met here was more of a horny knot-head than any alpha he ran into.  He would have assumed she was trans, despite the fact that she attempted the seduction of ‘I’m not wearing any panties’ and you could scent disgusting, fuckin’ chlamydia-laced slick.  Gabriel obviously ran in the other direction.

Sometimes, this place was good for picking up chicks, like the omega tonight, sometimes it was the last place you’d want to be caught.

Which was why Sam had to ask, “Dude, she was _gorgeous_.  Why did you ditch her for me?”

“Ya ever think it’s because there was an upgrade right in front of me?”  Gabe teased, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, then drunk Gabe kicked in.  “And I’m glad I upgraded.  Sure, she was a bombshell, but you?  You’ve got a brain, you’re funny, you’re sexy as hell and your scent?”  He paused for a second, his eyes flickering over Sam’s features. “What I wouldn’t give to get the unfiltered version, outside this bar.”

“My scent?”  Sam echoed, trying to play off the other compliments, because they were embarrassing him. “What is it about my scent?”

“Something about it," Gabe clucked his tongue, with a thoughtful face, “It makes me want to kiss your neck, taste you so I can figure out just what that ’something’ is, of course.  Better odds I’d solve the mystery, then.  But the information’d come with a price.”

“What kind of a price are we talking about?”

Sure, Sam was playing along, trying to keep his cool, but Gabriel’s words were going directly south.  He couldn’t tell him that, though.  He had to keep playing this game.

“Nothin’ too steep.  You’ll have to let me take my time undressing you, rather than rushing it tonight.”  He crossed his arms on the table, making sure he had Sam’s complete attention, as he said, “But after that, I’m sure I could pin-point what it is.  About your scent, of course.”

All right, Sam was losing, because his mouth was dry, and his drink was already finished.  Saying fuck it, he reached across for Gabriel’s drink, so he wouldn’t start stumbling over his words.  He had to take a second to gather himself.

“Whatever happened to playing hard to get?”  He finally settled on, bringing up the man’s previous words, and using them against him.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about getting me hard, Sammy.”  Gabriel took the drink back and slowly emphasized, “But if you have any doubts, I’m all about show and tell.”

The lights of the bar began flickering, which indicated last call, and Sam’s heart was racing in his chest.

Gabriel could scent the beginnings of arousal rolling off the alpha, and he knew he had it locked in.  He stood up, gesturing for Sam to follow him and said, “One more shot for the road?”

“Y-yeah.  I have to close my tab, too.”

With a quick glance to make sure Gabriel was ahead of him, and then a quick glance down to make sure his dick wasn’t tenting his goddamn jeans, he stood up and followed after him.  Jess looked thoroughly pleased, as they walked up together, with a knowing smile.

“Last call?”  She inquired, looking between the two men.  “Another round?”

“Yes, darlin’.”  Gabriel rested his weight against the bar, and added in, “Sam failed to tell me tonight he was celebrating.  Run his tab on this card.”

“Gabe, you don’t—” the alpha jerked around to face him, but he was silenced when a hand grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked him down into a kiss.

It was urgent, hot and— _goddamn_ , did Gabriel know how to use his fucking mouth—over much too soon.  When they broke apart, Sam found he was being watched with amusement and wanting amber eyes.  He had completely forgot what was going on, until his card was handed back to him, Gabriel had a copy of a receipt to sign.  And there were two shot glasses in front of them.

“You tricked me,” Sam hissed, as he grabbed his wallet and stuffed his card back in.

With a wink, Gabriel teased, “So, what if I wanted to kiss you?  Not my fault you fell for it.”

At the same time, they reached for their glasses, and it was the new stranger in Sam’s life who announced, “Happy anniversary, Sam,” and, in this moment, it finally _felt_ like a celebration.

They tossed back their shots, both thanked Jess on their way out, and when the cool March air outside the bar welcomed them, Gabriel pulled out his pack and a lighter.  Sam followed suit, and they began walking, because he didn’t quite know where this was going, if it was going anywhere to begin with.  Or, was he just leading him on, like the omega earlier?  But there was one thing that Sam noticed, as he lit up:

“You _did_ have your own lighter!”

“Yep.” Gabe flashed it in front of his face. “Yet, it remains one of the best ways to break the ice, between fellow smokers.  Can‘t tell me you‘ve never used that before.”

“I haven’t,” Sam admitted, as they began walking the empty streets. “I’m not a sneaky, run-away-when-your-date’s-in-the-bathroom kind of guy.  Like some people.”

“Don’t be dramatic, she wasn’t a date; or is this jealousy I’m seeing?” Gabriel tugged him into an alleyway, so they were no longer wandering aimlessly.  “So, I’m feelin’ no pain right now.  I had a fan-fuckin’-tastic night, and I’d love,” he snagged the alpha by his belt loops, “to continue it.”

Sam let himself be pulled to face the other man, while he kept smoking, but it was hard to keep up with his cigarette when he was the focus of intentions and promises, and other things behind Gabriel’s eyes.  He hadn’t been with anyone since Ruby; this was new, this was uncharted—but it was undeniable that he wanted this man.

Somehow, Gabriel was ridiculously attuned to his scent. Maybe he hadn’t been lying when he said there was something more to it, because he voiced, “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

It was then that the alpha said fuck it.  He tossed away the half-smoked stick and backed Gabriel against the wall, dipping forward to catch his lips.  Gabe had the same idea, throwing away the cigarette so he could get his hands on him—one tangled in his hair, and one reached behind to grab his ass.  Everything became heated in record time, because there was a voice in the distance, yelling at them to ‘ _get a room_ ’ because they had most _definitely_ been grinding against each other while making out.

“How close are you?”  Gabe asked, as he nipped Sam’s neck, and started leading them to the street. “That was not an innuendo, believe it or not.  That was a real question.”

“About ten minutes?”

Gabriel sprung out into the street to hail a cab.

\----------------

While Sam had been bummed out when Dean left, it was mostly because of his support, his companionship and needing his brother when going through tough times.  But at this exact second, when he and Gabriel literally tumbled into his apartment, he couldn’t be happier he lived alone.

The blockers Gabriel had applied earlier in the day must have begun to wear off. Whether because he had applied them so early in the day, the sweat of the club had rubbed them off, or because he was so ridiculously aroused that it was overpowering the blockers altogether, Sam began to get a sense for what Gabriel truly smelled like. And, shit, that passion combined with the way he was manhandling Sam was something the alpha had never experienced before.

Jesus, Gabriel was _strong_ , and when he demanded, in a lust-wrecked voice, where his bedroom was, Sam was practically running to follow the command.  Gabriel tackled the alpha down, licking a long stripe along his neck, while his hands explored the muscled flesh underneath Sam’s shirt.

“You know what?”  Gabriel grunted out, as he sat back from where he was straddling Sam. “I totally lied.”

That statement caused Sam’s heart to skip a beat because that could mean so many things.  What did he lie about?  Was he a part of the old scene?  Did he give away his location?  Was this some kind of trick?  Was Gabe about to—

“Woah, deer in headlights,” Gabriel dipped forward, for a filthy kiss, lapping the inside of his mouth.  “I lied about slowly undressing you.  No fucking way I can keep it together that long.”

As if to prove his point, his nimble fingers had completely unbuttoned Sam’s shirt faster than the alpha imagined possible, and then he was ripping the undershirt off with it.  The cool air hit his torso, but Gabriel’s lips were on him just as quickly.

He was nipping at his collarbones, sucking marks into his skin as he moved down his body, raking his nails along Sam’s sides as he went.  As soon as he got to the jeans, he made sure Sam was watching him unbutton and unzip them.  He didn’t pull them off, quite yet.

While palming his erection through the denim, he mused, “Look at how hard you are for me, Sam.  So needy.” Then Gabriel began to tug them down, Sam’s cock finally springing free from the confines.

Gabe threw the remaining clothes on the floor at the edge of the bed, socks included, as he snaked back up Sam’s body.  His mouth hovered over the alpha’s cock, and Sam’s body turned against him, arching up, hoping for Gabriel to do something.  Instead, a devilish smile grew on Gabriel’s face, as he dipped down—just enough to lick off the precum.

The barest of touches had Sam writhing, and Gabriel wasn’t sure what he wanted more...to tease him, or give it to him.

But one thing was for certain, he needed to kiss those soft lips again.  They were addicting, the way they moved against his; his kiss reflected who he was.  Honest, caring, and in this moment, begging for Gabriel to have his way with him.

Sam was unbridled in the way he was rutting against Gabriel, craving and needing the friction.  He was moaning softly against it, and Gabe wondered what other beautiful noises he could draw out.  However, something unexpected happened.

Sam was sucking his neck, while Gabriel had reached down to wrap his hand around the man’s throbbing cock.  That’s when Sam trapped him with both hands.  And took in a deep breath of his scent.

Then he pulled away, with confused eyes, and uttered the word, “Alpha?”

Now it was Gabriel’s turn to look confused. “You _shouldn’t_ be able to scent that—”

“But I can.” He turned his attention back to his neck, and Gabriel’s hand had paused, because this was normally the part where another alpha male would freak out.

But Sam’s arousal spiked even more, and he went back to mouthing at his jaw, sucking at his earlobe.

“Doesn’t seem to bother you, any,” Gabriel teased, to cover up the worry... _but it didn’t make sense_.

He didn’t use spray-on blockers, he used the hardcore stuff, the actual _medications_ , like others would use suppressants.

“Why would it?”  Sam asked honestly. “And why the fuck aren’t you naked?”

With a hearty laugh, Gabriel admitted, while peeling his shirt off, “Because I was planning on getting you off, then leaving,” he tossed the article away, before unzipping his jeans, “so you _wouldn’t_ find out I was an alpha.”

“Are you fucking with me, right now?”  Sam narrowed his eyes, “So, a celebration blowjob?  That’s it?”

Once Gabe kicked off his jeans, he captured Sam’s bottom lip with his teeth and tugged.

“It would’ve been the best blow job of your life, trust me.”  He began moving their hips together, now with only a thin layer of cotton between them.  “You got a thing for alphas?  You were holding out on me?”

“I’ve got a thing for you,” he teased right back, and reached down the front of Gabriel’s boxers to grab his cock.

Gabe moaned into the touch.  Sam’s mere palm was electric, and he barely got out the words, “You ever been with an alpha?”

Sam shook his head, and looked a little nervous.  But nervous was much better than freaked out.  Or disgusted.  Gabriel had always been a free spirit, it didn’t matter who he was with; but some people looked down on alphas being together, like it was some kind of taboo.  Which he found fucking ridiculous.

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna do anything you don’t want me to.  Or anything you’re not ready for.” Gabriel tried to assure him, but Sam’s hand was really fucking distracting.

The boxers needed to go, now.

As soon as they were thrown, randomly, on the floor and they were finally skin to skin...this was more than Gabriel could have asked for.  He didn’t bother inquiring if Sam had lube, because this was obviously new to him.  So, he spit into his palm, and wrapped his hand around both their cocks, fisting them and began pumping them together.

After the barest brush of lips, he whispered into Sam’s ear, “I’m gonna suck you off.  Will you let me fuck you with my fingers?”

The tone of his voice, and the liquid courage, had Sam nodding and agreeing in no time.  Hell, he was so far gone on both alcohol and how amazing he found his man, he’d probably let him knot him, right here and now.  Even though he knew he’d regret it the next day.  But the way Gabriel asked...almost like he was taking care of him...he could get used to this.

Sam knew there was going to be faint outline of teeth where Gabe was nipping at his hip bones, where he was sucking bruises into his flesh, and that was just another thing that turned him on.  Not being _expected_ to be dominant?  To throw someone around in bed?  To be the one being taken care of?  It was a nice change of pace, something he could appreciate, more than the other man knew.

As Gabriel’s tongue swirled around the thick head of Sam’s cock, he already knew his cock was leaking, and now the alpha was sucking him down without hesitation.  The suction and the bob of his head was leaving Sam breathless, and he couldn’t control the way his hips kept rolling into the heat, even if he tried.

It was so amazing, and distracting, that he barely noticed a slick finger circling around his hole because he was so lost in the blowjob.  Yeah, this was kind of unexplored territory, but for some reason he trusted the other alpha.  And even when there was a little bit of burn, a little bit of resistance against his rim, it was…fine.  Different, but all right.

The fact that it was new, that it was something taboo was actually _ridiculously_ alluring, on top of everything else.  It’s not like this was dangerous, but the feel of something wrong being so right, was making his erection ache inside Gabriel’s mouth.

Especially when the alpha took Sam so far down his throat that his lips covered the knot already forming at the base.  It caused a full-body shudder, because everything was a fucking thrill.  Gabriel pulled off his dick, and paid special attention to the beginning of his knot, lapping at it, teasing it, when he knew it was only going to be a matter of time...

It was then that Gabe worked in a second spit-slick finger, and this one burned more than the last.  Sam hissed a little, which had the other alpha immediately asking:

“Is that too much?”

“No, it’s fine now, promise,” Sam assured him, with a smile.

But then Gabriel had a smirk on his face that grew wide.

Which meant nothing good.

He lapped the entire length of Sam’s dick, while the two fingers began fucking in and out of his tight, virgin hole.  Once Gabriel reached the tip, he sucked hard, and took him back down his throat, painfully slowly.  Sam gasped, out of nowhere.

And it wasn’t from the mouth around his cock.

It was somewhere _else_ , something Gabriel had done with his _fingers_.

Which made him beg, “Gabe, fuck, again—”

And that’s when the jerk’s smirk had made sense.

Gabriel didn’t pull any punches; he continued his assault on Sam’s sweet spot, in time with the bobbing of his head, and he could feel the knot swelling.  As well as Sam’s cries and yelps, knowing he was almost there.

He wished they’d left the lights on, because this would have been the perfect sight to see as Sam blew his load down Gabe’s throat, and he swallowed down every drop of it.

The alpha slowly removed his fingers and took his time watching Sam catch his breath, pleasure drunk and fucking gorgeous.  But, apparently he wasn’t done yet.

Sam reached down and coaxed Gabriel on top of him, to kiss him breathless, while he reached and fisted both of their cocks.  And, fuck, Gabriel was basically ready to cum from watching Sam so it didn’t take long.

All it took was Sam’s deep and sensual kisses, a few jerks of his wrist and he was spilling all over the alpha’s stomach, right around the same time Sam reached his second orgasm.

God, it was sloppy, messy, passionate and fucking _perfect_.

Especially the fact that they continued to make out lazily, afterwards.

They kept it up, until Gabriel could feel the cum between them begin to dry and whispered into Sam’s ear, “Think we need to clean up, babe.”

He hummed into his mouth as an acknowledgement, and said, “Yeah, I’ll be right back,” when Gabriel rolled off him.

It was another moment Gabriel cursed the fact that the lights weren’t on, because he’d grabbed that perfect, toned ass, and he’d kill to see it walking away, right now.  Sam reappeared in no time with wash cloths they used to wipe down with, and tossed them into a dirty clothes bin.  Then, his scent changed when he looked at Gabriel, and he hesitated.

“What?”  Gabriel prompted..

“Will you stay the night?”  Sam was chewing on his bottom lip.  “You said, uh, before I found out you were an alpha, you were in it for a quickie blowjob and were gonna leave.  But now that I know, will you stay?”

Gabriel blinked, wide eyed at the straight-up nerves that were running through his voice, and found it goddamn adorable.  How the fuck could he say no to that?

“Sure, why not,” he laughed a little bit, when he responded.  “But I’m always the big spoon.  Something you gotta get used to.”

“Fine,” Sam rolled his eyes, and lifted the covers for both of them to crawl under.

But one thing stuck out in his mind.  The _wording_ of the sentence, to be specific.

Gabe said this was something Sam would have to get used to.

Which implied this would happen again.  It wasn’t about how they tumbled into bed together, it was the whole night.  Something about them clicked, and he didn’t want to let it go, just yet.  He didn’t mind being the little spoon.  He _wanted_ to ‘get used to things’.  And, goddammit, Sam hoped he was right.

\----------------

Sam groaned when he woke up, because two things were seriously bothering him.  One was a raging hangover from his celebration night, and the other was the fact he was alone.  He frowned and paused to listen for any sound indicating that someone was still there in the apartment.

Hoping the shower may be running.  Hoping there were footsteps walking through his kitchen, as Gabe helped himself to whatever was in the refrigerator.

But, the longer he listened, the more he realized he was alone.

When he looked at his phone, he realized it was 10:30, so it was more than likely the man actually had a real job he needed to get ready for, and needed to leave early in the morning.

Sam was just bummed out he didn’t wake him before he left.

He heaved a heavy sigh, and slowly got out of bed, as to not jar his throbbing headache, and walked to the dresser to pull on a pair of pajama pants.  He needed some Motrin and coffee, and he needed it _now_.

When he walked to the bathroom and opened the cabinet, he spared a quick glance to the toilet, as though he was daring it into looking appealing enough to make him puke.  But Sam won the battle, and moved to the kitchen with two orange pills cupped in his hand.

However, before he could grab a glass of water, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, set out on the small dining room table.

He sharply turned on his heels, and headed for that, instead.

When he read the messy scrawl, his heart dropped, and the toilet looked more and more appealing.

The note read:

_Find me when you’ve graduated - kids aren’t my type_

Sitting right next to the note was his _real_ driver’s license, with his real birthday, proving he was twenty (not twenty four, as he’d claimed) and his college ID.

\------------------

“Goddammit!”  Gabriel swore, as he walked through the apartment, catching sight of Cas making a sandwich in his kitchen, which was strange.  “What are you doing here?”

His brother turned around, eyes bloodshot and stated, a bit hazy, “I was hungry?  Like, really, _really_ hungry.”

“It’s 8 a.m., dude, why the fuck are you awake?”  Gabriel stalked over to him because he scented something he hoped he wouldn’t.  “Dammit, it’s because you never went to sleep.”

“Yeah, coke does that to you.” He nodded vigorously, as he finished making his meal and walked out of the kitchen, heading to the couch.  “Why are you all pissed off?  It’s too early to be pissed off.  Especially because it smells like you got laid.  You‘re usually much more jovial than this.  It must‘ve been good, if you spent the night.  What went wrong?”

“I think I got duped.” The alpha followed his brother, running his fingers through his hair and angrily pulling at it. “Went home with this dude, fuckin’ awesome, everything was great, but then I was being paranoid, and of fuckin’ course, what did I find?  He lied about half the things we were talking about.  I told you, they’re still after me, the fuckin’ cops, I was lucky to get out of there when I did, because—”

“What did he lie about?”  Castiel asked through a mouthful of food, the sentence barely coherent through the turkey-Swiss blockage.

“Lied about his age, he’s a fucking student, going into _law_ , you think that’s a coincidence?  The fact that I’m still _running_ _from the_ _law_?!”  Gabriel was pacing, the scent of frustration filling the room, to the point Cas made a face.

“How old was he?”  The younger man asked, reaching for the glass of water he’d brought out, shaking a little as he took a swallow.

“Twenty.  Told me he was twenty-four and—”

“Hah!” The alpha threw his head back and exploded into a fit of giggles. “You’re such a dumbass.  He’s a goddamn twenty-year-old, sneaking his way into a bar, not a fuckin’ Russian spy, trying to fuck you and arrest you when you’re sleeping!  I’m high as a kite, and _I’m_ not even _that_ goddamn paranoid!”

Gabriel stared incredulously at his brother, who could not stop laughing, and it did nothing to ease his nerves. If anything, it pissed him off more and more by the second.

“You know what?  Fuck you, Cas!  If you were in my situation—”

“You liked him,” he managed to get out, between his giggling fit, which had now managed to knock him over on the couch, from the way his body was convulsing from the laughter.  Then, he pointed, “ _That’s_ why you’re so upset!  ‘Cause you’ve got a crush.  You’re making excuses, cutting off connections, and convincing yourself he’s a fuckin’ bounty hunter.  It’s all too magnificent!”

“I like you better when you’re on sedatives,” Gabe snapped, and turned his back, heading to the kitchen.

When he looked in the refrigerator, he called back into the living room, “How long have you fucking been here?!”

“Uhh, an hour?  Maybe two?”

“I thought coke was supposed to make you lose your appetite?”

“Yeah, then I followed up by smoking a bowl and got really hungry…sorry.”

Gabriel slammed the empty refrigerator, even more pissed off than before (if it were possible) and decided to give up.  He was going to his room to fall asleep, and hopefully begin to forget about the kid.  Even though he knew his chances sucked a huge one.

Fuck his life.


	3. Chapter Two

**May 2007**

He’s sick and tired of playing babysitter to his little brother.  This was a cold, hard, fact.  But tonight, Castiel was already high off his ass when he called to invite Gabriel out with him and his friends, and he knew things would only go downhill from there.

So, he grabbed the whiskey from his freezer, dumped a good amount of it down his throat and asked where the fuck he was meeting him.

Cas announced they were already out front, ready to pick him up.

Which was _never_ a good sign.

It made him pick up the bottle again, order him not to leave while he changed his clothes, and rush out of his apartment to see that the party was already in full swing inside some chick’s SUV.  Cas was in the back, gesturing to an empty seat next to him, and they were passing bottles of liquor around the car.

Apparently, it was Meg in the driver’s seat, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.  She called back to “save some for her,” as she whipped out of the parking lot at a breakneck speed, while the girl riding shotgun asked who wanted ecstasy.

Yep.  Gabriel was getting sick and tired of it. Then Cas reached his hand towards her with a “right here, babe,” and it was down the hatch in no time.

The way Meg was hitting the cruise control just under the speed limit whenever they turned onto a new road told him she was drunk, but she wasn’t swerving too badly, so at least he knew he wasn’t going to die.

Hopefully.

One of the girls in the back reached out and played with his hair, asking Cas, “He’s adorable, why don’t you bring him around more often?”

“I try,” the alpha answered earnestly, “but he doesn’t approve of my lifestyle very much.”

With a huff, Gabriel asked into the car, “Who’s got the vodka?  I saw it floating around somewhere!”

A scantily clad girl with a glazed-over look in her eyes grabbed it from where she’d been holding it hostage between her thighs and handed it back to him, slurring excitedly, “It’s _watermelon_!”

“Wonderful.” Gabriel pasted on a cheesy smile, and took a pull from the bottle.

He was gonna need to be drunk to handle these assholes tonight.  A skill he’d acquired over the past few years is drinking while babysitting.  Or, at least, making sure Cas doesn’t kill himself.  So far, he’s doing well.  Besides the fact that his brother was tongue-fucking the woman sitting next to him, his hand moving up her thigh, slowly but surely.

Gabriel smacked it away, ordering, “Wait until later, Cowboy.”

His brother pulled away with a pout to explain, “I’m trying to put together my threesome tonight,” then nibbled at the omega’s neck, while purring to her, “which could very well turn into an orgy…”

Now, Gabe was seriously questioning what he got himself into.

\-------------

When they pulled up to their destination, Gabe recognized it as the sleazy new bar slash club in town, and everyone took their final chugs from the bottles before stowing them underneath the seats or beneath random objects in the SUV.

The alpha didn’t miss the way Meg glared at Cas, who still had his arm wrapped around the woman he’d been making out with in the backseat.

Gabriel already had an inkling she was in love with his brother—after all, who the fuck lets some random dude live with them, paying rent through sex?  Yep.  Gabriel’s pretty damn sure Meg wouldn’t keep him around if he wasn’t something ‘special.’  So the glare didn’t surprise him one bit.

At least Gabriel was pleasantly buzzed by then.

The seven of them walked into the club like they owned the place.  Apparently, the others had been there enough they don’t even bother checking IDs, and headed right on over to a corner table.  That had bottle service.  

Gabe scooted close enough to Cas to whisper, “What’s with the VIP treatment, bro?”

“The brunette omega?”  He casually motioned to her, “Trust fund baby.  Treats us all really nice, because I treat her really nice.”

“When did you become a high class prostitute?”

The alpha threw his head back and laughed, “That’s funny!  I like that!” and patted his brother on the back.  “Let’s get some tequila!”

Gabriel could already scent the effects of the ecstasy taking hold of his brother’s blood stream, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he was hopping off on the dance floor and finding some other woman (or _women_ ) to seduce.  It was a joke, how much he’d changed.  Between his bachelors, masters, saying fuck a PhD even though he was accepted, ‘because life was meant to be lived.’

He’s passionately writing his next thesis on sex and drugs, apparently.

Cas was a big boy, he didn’t need saving.  One day, he was gonna wake up and realize what a fucking idiot he was being.  And it’s not like Gabriel hadn’t dabbled himself.  He had his own 'wake up call,' and he was banking on his brother to have his, as well.

Everyone cheered when the bottle girl brought over the Patrón, and shot glasses were spread out between them, the employee not caring that she could scent the trace drugs wafting from the group.  It was just that kind of place.  That kind of dirty club—where no one cared, and it was almost to be expected.

Even though the 'trust fund baby' should have been all class, she still huffed when there weren’t any limes or salt.  Which the bottle girl soon profusely apologized for, and ran off to get.  In no time, it was like they were in college again, wetting their hands for salt, grabbing their lime wedges and readying their shots.  
  
Fuckin’ training wheels.

The beta who’d been handing out the drugs in the front seat announced, “To a wild night!” Then they went through the motions, and the Patrón was burning their throats.  Except, when Gabriel set his glass down on the table, he noticed another group making just as much noise as them, at the bar.

And he scented a _familiar_ smell.

This group had just made their toast to “Passing the LSAT and making it into law school!”

Gabriel froze up when he saw none other than Sam Winchester in the middle of the group.

Fuck.

\-------------

Brady had been the one to suggest this new club that had opened in town and Sam had never been there, so he decided why the hell not?  During the last year, he’d met a large group of pre-law students, just like himself, and carved out a little niche of study buddies, as well as an on-again-off-again girlfriend named Madison.  She wasn’t going into law, she was just here to support him, because they were out getting dinner that night, anyway.

There were ten of them all together who’d been accepted and a night on the town sounded like the perfect idea after all their slaving away and hard work.  But…Sam had not expected to be in a place like this.

It wasn’t as though he was imagining a martini bar, but a club with a dance floor, VIP area, and the obvious scent of drugs in the air?  This wasn’t exactly ‘law student’ locale.  Had Brady been here before, or was this a shot in the dark?

Not like it really mattered.

Sam was well over that phase; his life was going well, and everything was on the right track.

Madison was hanging from his arm, a little tipsy because they’d pre-gamed before they got here.  They’d decided to play it safe since who knew how expensive the place and the drinks were going to be.  It’s not like Sam had an overflowing wallet.  It had been a last-minute idea, and they hadn’t had the chance to look it up on Google.

How it went down was a group text.  A wardrobe change paired with a few shots.  A cab ride—and here they were.

In retrospect, maybe a club wasn’t such a bad idea.  They were always so serious, hunched over books, constantly focused on memorizing material for tests and sweating it out, waiting for results to be posted.  But when it came down to it?  They didn’t _really_ know each other.  Who liked to dance?  Who wanted to get white-girl wasted?  Who was gonna go on a mission, and take someone home tonight?

It was going to be entertaining, that's for sure.

Sam leaned back over the bar, and ordered himself and Madison another drink, before he got this weird feeling he was being watched.  He didn’t turn around and look, because it was only a feeling, and the club was so packed there was no way to tell.  Not to mention, the lights were dimmed, and the only source was coming from the obnoxious, almost rave-like scene on the dance floor.

Yeah.  Sam was definitely going to have to ask Brady if he’d been here before when he came back.

But his friend was nowhere to be found.

Hell, after their initial toast, not a lot of them were to be found.  Half were probably on the dance floor; he saw one of the women chatting it up with some beta at the other side of the bar, which left himself and Madison.

They chatted for a while, and Sam kept feeling someone’s eyes.  It was tripping him out.

“So,” he asked the omega, “need a refill?”

To which she replied, “How could I refuse?”

\-----------

“You’re acting weird,” Castiel commented, and rested his head on his brother’s shoulder.  “Drink more.  You’re fun when you’re drunk.  Or find a chick to fuck.  I’ve already found three looking at you.”  He raised his hand and began pointing, “There’s a pretty redhead, over there’s a brunette with legs for days.  And that one just looks really horny, but your call.”

Gabe shoved his brother off his shoulder and grinned, “You know what?  I _am_ more fun when I’m drunk.  Wanna do another shot?”  He looked around the table. “What do ya’ll say?”

Obviously, he was met with excitement, which took the heat off him, because his brother (no matter how fucked up) knew him too well.

So, he began pouring.

And after everyone had tossed theirs back, he quickly poured one more for himself.

Maybe if he was drunk enough, he’d stay glued to his seat.  He wouldn’t be an idiot and get up to where Sam would see him.  He could stay tucked away, in this corner booth hiding in the shadows.

Except his brother was persistent.  And handsy.

He grabbed Gabe by both shoulders and pulled him towards him, with a serious expression on his face.  “I wanna dance.”

“Then go dance!”

“ _We_ should dance.”  His words made it seem like it was the choice between life or death, which made Gabriel laugh.  “You love to dance.  Why won’t you dance with me?”

“C’mon, Cassie.  You’ll find a lady out there in no time who’ll dance with you.”

“ _Something_ is wrong.” His words were slightly slurred as he felt Gabriel’s forehead, like he was feverish.  “What’s wrong?  You can tell me.”

With a heavy huff, knowing he wasn’t getting out of this one, he finally grumbled, “Remember that kid from a year and a half back?  The one I met at the bar who I thought—”

“Was a Russian bounty hunter,” Cas finished and nodded, eagerly.  “Of course.  I made a very delicious sandwich that day.”

“He’s here.”

“Oh.”

Understanding finally lit up in Castiel’s eyes, when he realized the predicament. “And now you’re nervous because you liked him.  And blew him off.  Speaking of blow.  Let’s go to the bathroom.”

“Are you fucking with me right now?”  He raised an eyebrow, but his brother had already asked one of the women to step aside, and was tugging Gabriel out of the booth.

“Nah, no fuckery—dead serious.”  He had a dopey grin, “Blow goes excellent with what I’ve got going on right now, it’s the perfect—”

“Wait—” Gabriel grabbed his wrist to stop him.

Maybe him watching Sam across the room had been a good thing.

Because, in his hovering, he had most _definitely_ just witnessed someone slip something into his drink while he was speaking animatedly to his friends a step or two away from the bar.  And now, said friends were leading him somewhere else.

“All right, I’ll go with you, but you need to do something for me.” Gabriel was speaking a mile a minute, because now Sam was on the run, drink in hand. “See that tall alpha over there?  I need you to get rid of that drink, somehow.”

Cas tilted his head, and instead of asking the normal questions like ‘why’ he asked, “Then you’ll go do some blow in the bathroom with me?”

“I’ll do whatever the fuck you want, but go!   _Now_!”

Gabriel knew he couldn’t do it himself.  He didn’t want Sam to see him, and if he walked up to him claiming someone roofied him, he was in for a fight.  But Cas?  Cas could do this, no red flags raised.  And as Cas traipsed across the dance floor, he thanked God for his stoned little brother.

\-----------

With his new refill, Sam was wandering away from the noise of the bar to a quieter section with his friends, where they could chat.  Madison was begging him to dance, and he promised he’d get to it later, once he had a few more drinks in him.

To be honest, he did have enough drinks in him, he just really _didn’t_ want to dance.

Not to mention, she was getting in one of those ‘needy’ moods—that was another bullet-point on the list of the reasons they were on-again-off-again  He was too independent.  Most guys would wait on her hand and foot, because she was a knock-out, and ‘he’d really scored with her.’  But…that’s not what Sam was looking for in a potential mate.

She was a great girl, really, but their chemistry was…limited, at best.

He was trying to play it off, but at this point she was really becoming annoying, and he was about to down half of this new drink in one go.

Or he _would_ have—

Before some random alpha shoulder-checked him, and knocked it out of his hand, sending it shattering on the floor.

Sam looked up with wide eyes, and demanded, “What the fuck, dude?!”

To which a gravely voice respond, “Shit, didn’t see you there.  Which is weird.  Because you’re, like, a giant.”  Then, his focus turned to Madison, and he slipped in a flirty, “Oh, _hello_ , there, gorgeous.”

She blushed, and now Sam was pissed, and repeated, “Seriously, what the fuck?!”

“It’s a crowded club, in case you haven’t noticed,” he scoffed, and rolled his eyes, and at this point, Sam could scent the drugs on him.  “You’re standing right on the way to the bathroom.  Maybe you should move over, or else more people are going to be knocking into you and your beautiful date.”

“Whatever,” he growled, knowing he shouldn’t get so upset, because this was just some stupid, junkie loser. “Get lost.”

The man quirked a grin, and continued on his way.

However, once he left, there was this… _lingering_ scent.  Underneath the drugs.  It was something Sam recognized, but couldn’t put his finger on.  Which was strange.  It made him hesitate, but one thing he knew for sure, was not only did he need another drink, he needed a fuck-ton of napkins from the bar to get the liquor off his clothes.

\--------------

Gabriel was in the bathroom, waiting for him, with an eyebrow raised and a ”How did it go?”

“Feisty,” Cas laughed, “I like him.  Although, I’m pretty sure he hates me.  So, we’ll pretend we don’t know each other, for _both_ our sakes.  Come, let us head to the handicapped stall!”

The alpha rolled his eyes and remained the look out, and was surprised when his brother tugged him along.

“What?”

“You’re joining me, duh,” he said, like it was obvious.  “I rescued your Moose from untold tragedy, now the knight in shining armor gets a present from the pauper.”

“God, that’s a fucked up fairy tale,” he groaned, but he did remember promising that, in a moment of desperation. “Fine.  Make it quick.”

Cas already had the bag out and white powder sprinkled (dumped) on the surface.  However, it still made Gabriel anxious.  He hated when his brother pulled these things in public, let alone the fact that he was joining him?  But, Cas had done exactly what he asked, and coke wasn’t the worst thing on the list.  

Hell, this used to be a part of his lifestyle too, so it’s not like it was foreign.  He simply decided he liked being clear-headed better—nothing wrong with that.  Anyways, Cas did just do him a huge favor, and it was only one night.

By the time he justified his actions, he looked back around to see Cas itching his nose, and offering Gabe a rolled up bill.

The alpha sighed, and even though it had been a while (okay, a year, at most), it was like riding a goddamn bike.  He crouched over the lines, plugging his other nostril and inhaling sharply.  He almost laughed at the scent of elation coming from his brother as he righted himself, and handed him back the twenty?—he pretty sure it was.

“I’m being a bad influence,” Castiel announced proudly, “because you’re protecting someone’s virtue.  Who thought the day would come!”

“Let’s get your trippy ass back to the dance floor, yeah?”

“That sounds _excellent_!”

Cas hopped right out of the bathroom, but Gabriel lingered a second, to catch his breath and look at his reflection.  Just what the fuck was he supposed to do?  Hide away all night?  This was stupid.  Was someone targeting Sam?  Or was it a random act?  Was he gonna have to look after the kid, like a fuckin’ vigilante from the shadows?  What would his superhero name be?  He could come up with something really awesome, he was sure of it.  Would he—

Shit.  The coke was most definitely already kicking in.  He was dreading the drip.

Fuck Castiel, and his trickery.

He exhaled sharply, letting his head hang, and didn’t think anything of it when the door opened.  Until he heard a very, very familiar voice ask, “Gabriel?” And suddenly, all his plotting and planning flew out the window.

When he jerked up and caught Sam’s reflection behind him, he tried to play it cool, because if Sam looked alarmed...   
  
That meant he already had one up on the kid.

“Oh, hey.  Long time no see.”  He winked, trying to fall back into his façade and pretend he hadn’t been freaking out since the moment he saw him there.  “You smell like you took a whiskey bubble bath.  What’s up with that.”

The alpha grunted, and walked right up to the brown paper towels to wet them, going the extra mile to use a little foaming soap. “Some asshole knocked my drink out of my hand, and now I’m wearing half of it.” He tried to scrub the leg of his pants and the side of his jacket. “Napkins wouldn’t do anything, so I hoped I could at least try to clean up in here.”

“Ah.”  Gabriel watched his struggle with amusement, and couldn’t help but suggest, “You could always take ‘em off.  Solves the problem.”

Sam’s jaw dropped, and he asked, “Did you seriously just—”

“Make an innuendo?  I’m fulla those.”

“Yeah, I already know that.”

Now, he was scrubbing at his clothing more aggressively, throwing out the old paper towels, and soaking new ones.  Gabriel couldn’t help but hop up on the countertop and watch him, rather than staring at him through the mirror.  He could scent anger in the alpha.  But it wasn’t directed towards the drink anymore, it was directed towards _Gabriel_.

Which he found extremely amusing, now that they were face to face, and he didn’t have to worry about hiding anymore.

“Why are you still here?”  Sam snapped, but wouldn’t make eye contact with him.

“Because I was hoping you’d take ‘em off.”

Suddenly, Sam slammed both a fist down on the counter, and looked Gabriel directly in the eyes with fierce determination.  “What are you doing?  Who do you think you are?  You don’t get to—”

“Ahem.”  Gabriel interrupted his tirade. “Excuse me, sir, it was _you_ who lied to _moi_.  So I can do whatever the hell I want.  And if it’s harassing you and making remarks?  That’s precisely what I shall do.”

That left Sam gaping.  Until he steeled his resolve, clenched his teeth, and stalked towards the other alpha, who was playfully kicking his legs from where he sat on the counter.  Sam used his height to his advantage and slapped his hands down on either side of Gabriel, boxing him in.  The irritation in his scent was overwhelming, their eyes locking together.

So, obviously, Gabe pronounced slowly, “This would be extremely sexy if you didn’t look like you wanted to punch me.”

Although, for a split second, Sam’s eyes darted down to Gabe’s lips, he didn’t budge.  Instead, he hissed, “You dug through my personal belongings.  Were you going to rob me?  What the fuck were you looking for?  Congratulations!  I lied about my age.  Like any other brat who wants to get drunk at a bar.  You were the one ditched me, who invaded my privacy, and—”

As quickly as he could, Gabriel reached up and put a finger to Sam’s lips, as he repeated, “Ditched you?  Is _that_ what it’s all about?”

Sam’s iron grip grabbed hold of Gabriel’s wrist and wrenched it away. “That’s the only thing you picked up on?  You—” and then he paused and unexpectedly leaned forward, jamming his face in Gabriel’s neck.  “You’re high.”

“Only a little.”

He huffed, and began to pull away, something mumbled under his breath that sounded a hell of a lot like, “Why did I even waste my time—”

But before he could get too far, Gabriel grabbed him by the back of the collar and hauled him around, by brute force alone.  And then he did what he’d been thinking about, from the second he saw him again.  Hell, from the second he left him the first time.

He tangled his hands through Sam’s hair and kissed the fuck out of him.

Although the alpha was caught completely off guard, he didn’t pull away.  Then, once he knew what was going on?  He started giving back as good as he was getting.  It was something rough, something fierce; a take-no-prisoners type of kiss, which had Gabriel wrapping a leg around him and tugging him closer, in no time.

Sam nipped at his bottom lip without remorse and he tasted the tang of blood in his mouth, which made Gabriel unregretfully yank his head to the side so he could suck a bruise into the long expanse of neck there.  And to take in Sam’s scent, because, _God_ , he had _missed it_.  The scrape of teeth was the first thing that made Sam whimper, and pull away.

“W-we can’t be doing this.” His voice was winded, but he was still looking at Gabriel like a predator.  “Not here.”

“You suggesting we take this somewhere else?”  Gabriel tried to keep his voice even, but there was a dash of longing shining through.

Sam was nodding, but then it quickly turned into him shaking his head and looking confused.

Gabriel took that as a sign to hop down from the countertop and grab both sides of Sam’s face, forcing his gaze back to him.  “Tell me what you’re thinking.  C’mon, Sam.”

“I—,” he couldn’t get the words out.  “I’m here with friends and my kind-of girlfriend.”

The word made Gabriel drop his hands to his sides, attempting to skirt around the defeat, and nod. “Oh.  I get it.”

“No, no—” Sam urged, for _what_ reason, he hadn’t the slightest clue. “It’s not like that.  We’re not serious, at all.  I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that you’re here, and I never thought I’d see you again.  And I was so fucking pissed off at you.”

That was something Gabriel could understand, because he was feeling the same way, too.

So he took a step towards the exit and offered, “Well, I’ll be around for another hour or so.  If you’re into angry sex, come find me.”

Then, he shut the door.

\----------------

Sam stayed in the bathroom longer than he’d intended, because there were a million thoughts going through his head.  Well, most of them were jumbled because of the alcohol, but one thing was for sure—kissing Gabriel again had been amazing.

He hadn’t wanted to stop.

He wanted to keep going, to rip his clothes off, to—

This was where he was supposed to be collecting himself, not getting himself more riled up.  But…the alpha brought something out of him.  Something that no one else could.  Sure, he liked Madison enough, but she wasn’t...

…she wasn’t _Gabriel_.

“Fuck!”  He hissed, as he wadded up the remainder of the towels he’d been using and threw them into the trash can.

He had half a mind to kick the damned thing over, because his anger had suddenly transformed into sexual frustration and he needed to take it out on something.  Sam took a couple of deep breaths before he opened the door and went back out into the club.

His first stop, obviously, was the bar.

That fucking idiot had just cost him twelve bucks, but he was more than willing to spend double that to get the other alpha out of his head.  He was leaning against the bar, waiting for a shot and another drink, when Madison found him.  She was already staggering a little in her heels, which made her hang off of Sam in no time.

But when she raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why do you smell like that?” all he could think to say was, “Like what?”

“Like,” her mouth hung open while she thought, because—obviously—thinking was too difficult for her.  “Like…I dunno.”

He snorted a laugh while he took the shot and grabbed the drink.  “How are you feeling?  You’re looking a little tipsy, Mads.”

“Yeah,” she admitted, “the drinks here are strong!  Are you drunk yet?”

Which translated to ‘can we go back to your apartment and have blacked-out sex?’

“Nah, not quite—” then he paused.

Because he caught something out of the corner of his eye, right before he joined their group of friends, in the corner again.

Apparently, Gabriel was in the VIP lounge area and it was a free for all over there.  There were at least five opened bottles laying around the huge, oval table, a few couples making out, while another two women were dancing on the table, and Gabriel was taking a body shot off another chick’s navel.

Which got Sam’s blood boiling.

So _that’s_ where he’d been all night, why he hadn’t ran into him earlier.  Nope.  The alpha was having the time of his life, all boozed and coked up, with beautiful women, and lots of fucking money that looked like a scene right out of a fucking music video.

He couldn’t begin to explain how badly it pissed him off.

“Oww,” Madison’s voice took a strange tone, when Sam finally looked down at her, and she was looking at his drink, to see it had completely vanished.  “Didn’t that all hurt, going down?”

“Sam!”  Brady appeared out of nowhere. “Where’ve you been?”

The alpha had to physically tear his eyes away from the scene and force a smile to his friend. “Oh, you know.  Trying to scrub off Jameson didn’t go too well.  Now I smell like a liquor store, which is extremely appealing.”

The next thing he knew, he had to catch his date because she was stumbling over her own feet.  “Woah, woah, Mads.  You’ve had too much,” he gasped.

She looked up at him with her big puppy eyes that rivaled his own and nodded, “Yeah…I think that last kamikaze kamikazied me…”

“Hey, I’ll get you a cab, okay?”

Somehow, she righted herself enough to grab the lapels of his suit jacket and haul him in, “You’re coming with me, right, Sam?”

Brady began laughing in the background, which the alpha didn’t appreciate, and shot him a glare.

“Babe, what you need right now is to sleep this off, okay?” He ran a hand through her hair and gave her a sincere smile, while he began ushering her to the door.  “Let’s just get you home safe, all right?”

Her pout amplified, if that were possible, but she nodded.  “Kay.  Fine.”

Sam thanked God there was a car nearby, and took it upon himself to walk her out front.  He had to carry most of her weight to get her into the cab, but tipped the driver an extra twenty, in addition to the twelve he knew it would get her to her apartment, to make sure she got inside all right.  Madison reached out and gave him the most sloppy, uncoordinated kiss he’d ever experienced in his life, but he had to laugh.

“Try to text me when you get home?”  He urged her, “Just wanna make sure you’re safe.”

“Then come home with me,” she batted her eyelashes and moved further into the car to make room for him, while suggestively spreading her legs to show off a pair of lace panties. “We can—”

“Next time,” he forced a smile, because now that she was in, he could slam the door.

He waved off the driver and huffed out loud, ripping his pack of cigarettes from his jacket in record time.  Once it was lit up, he walked along side the brick wall and leaned.  In comparison to Madison, he was sober as could be, but now that he was out here, smoking?  He was using the wall for more support than he thought…

Shit.

He was inhaling the menthol like it was a lifeline, because where did he go from here?  There were options—he had to remind himself, he had options, even though there was really only one thing on his mind.

He was here celebrating with friends.  Even so...he looked down at his phone, it was rounding on 1 a.m., and a good chunk of them had either taken off because it was late, or because they found someone to go home with.  Right now, he figured there were about three of them left standing.

Sam flicked the butt into the street and headed back in.  He needed another drink.

\---------------

Gabriel honestly had no idea where his brother had run off to, but Meg assured him he wasn’t going to leave without her.  He wasn’t sure how much he trusted the omega’s words, especially because of the current mix of drugs in Cas’ system, but he knew one thing, that was a fact—

Gabe, himself, was feeling no pain.

His showdown with Sam in the bathroom did a lot of things.

Stirred _up_ a lot of things.

And when he mentioned his ‘girlfriend’ was here?

That was right around the time Gabriel had decided to give up all hope, and say fuck it.

Sure, it was a nice little drunken make-out, and he’d left him with the perfect teasing line, but when he saw the two real nice and cozy once Sam left the bathroom, yeah…hopes were _dashed_.  So, he took advantage of his buzz.  Both of the alcohol and the coke.  There was nothing he couldn’t do right now, he had all this friggin energy.  Hell, he’d convinced two of the shyest girls in the group to get up on the table and dance.

And now?

It was liquor time.

The good, and bad, thing about cocaine was the mix of uppers and downers confused your body into forgetting how much or how little you’d drank.

While he was only, technically, on one (and a half, if you count the booze) thing, the rest of the party was a fucking mix and match of it all.  Which was why he didn’t think twice when Meg suggested body shots.

He laughed, grabbed some fruity top-shelf liquor and dumped (probably more than he should have) into her navel, eagerly sucking it off her.  She giggled and swatted at him, before grabbing another bottle (never leaving her position on the table) and tipping it back.  Gabriel grabbed a fifth, sick and tired of these shot glasses, and did the same.

Maybe he was drinking out of emotion, maybe he wasn’t.

Who the fuck was he kidding, _of course_ he was.

It was good no one could scent it, because of his blockers.

He was in the middle of a story with the girl Cas had been making out with on the way over, when someone stole the bottle out of his hand and, on instinct, he snapped, “Paws off, bitch, get your own—”

But the words died in his throat when he saw Sam, wrapping his lips around the bottle and taking a swig.

The ‘trust-fund-baby’ was the one to speak up and say, “Hey!  That’s _ours_!” in a whiney tone.

But Gabriel countered with, “It’s okay, _he’s_ mine,” and winked at her.

Sam rolled his eyes, a little stumble in his step when he pushed his way into the circular booth and right up next to Gabriel.

“So, this is what you’re up to these days?”  Sam knew his words were slurred, as he took another chug. “Drugs and sex.  But where’s the rock and roll?”

“I could show you some rock and roll.” Gabriel leaned in, letting the breath from his words barely brush against Sam’s cheek.  “But!  That comes later.”

Then he began clapping as the song changed, and the women dancing on the tabletop started getting a little more sultry. “Get it, ladies!” Gabriel urged them on.

And he could actually scent jealousy coming from Sam.  Yep.  The alpha was definitely drunk, if he couldn’t even guard his scent at all.  So, it was time for Gabriel to turn the tables, so to speak.

“What happened with your girlfriend?”  He tilted his head to the side, not allowing himself to be distracted by Sam’s body heat pressed right up against him.  “Quickie in the back, or did she have a headache?”

“She was way too drunk, probably puking in the cab as we speak,” Sam rolled his eyes, “and I told you.  She’d not really my girlfriend.”

“Fuck buddy, then,” Gabriel clarified, with a nod. “Who _wants_ to be your girlfriend, because she has all these sticky feelings.”

“Gabe?  Wanna do another line?”  Meg literally crawled along the length of the table from where someone else had been doing a body shot off her, then turned to the newcomer. “Or, perhaps tall, dark and taller wants one?”

“I think we’re good, sweetheart,” he patted her on the cheek, and she made a move to bite his thumb.

Because she’s beyond fucked up, right now, and that’s when she gets especially saucy.

“Look out, kids, we’ve got a biter.” Gabriel, instead, reached out and ruffled her hair. “Crazy skank.  Jesus, you need to go out there and find someone, you smell like you’re going into heat.”

“I’m looking for your brother, duh.”  She scooted around, and she was one wrong move from a wardrobe malfunction right in the cleavage region.  “He promised a threesome tonight, and I can’t find him—”

Gabriel took pity on her and helped her out, reaching forward and adjusting her top before a nipple pops out. “I heard rumors of an orgy.  Sure he’s not on scouting detail?”

“Let’s drink,” she slurred, and reached behind her to the side where the girls aren’t dancing, and grabbed the tequila. “To your new friend.  He looks delicious.”

“Oh, he _is_ delicious,” he assured her, and for whatever reason, Sam raised his bottle to toast.

\----------------

Somehow, in the blur of liquor and (Sam swears) a second hand buzz off some random beta’s ridiculous drug high, they’re there much later than closing time, and Gabriel had him by the hand.  Apparently, the girl who made all of this happen paid some of the wait staff to stay a little later because she wasn’t ready to go home yet, and neither was anyone else.  So they ‘rented’ it out, for their own personal after party.

Plus, Meg was livid because Cas did, indeed, leave without her.  So she started making out with another one of the omegas to get the sexual frustration out of her system.

Sam wasn’t sure where they were going.  However, when Gabriel roughly shoved him down into another one of the VIP booths—barely out of sight from the one they’d just been occupying—he had a pretty good idea.

To be honest, he’d been trying to scent him all night.  He knew he was wearing blockers again, but if he could get even the _tiniest_ hint of what he scented the first night they were together?  He would be on cloud nine.

Up until now, since Sam had joined the party, he felt like it was a power struggle.

Little jabs at each other.  Trying to get one another riled up.  Maybe even testing the waters.

But was there really a point?

Sam had left his friends, his ‘girlfriend’ to corner Gabriel.  If that wasn’t an obvious ‘I chose you,’ he didn’t know what the fuck was.  But Gabriel always was the one for teasing.  For the slow, taunting seductions.  Maybe that’s what this was about?

Except that this _wasn’t_ slow.

He’d tossed him back into the booth, straddled his hips, and kissed him like the world was ending tomorrow.  Sam hadn’t expected it, but his hands moved on their own, grabbing fistfuls of the fabric clothing Gabe’s shoulders, and kissing him back just as urgently.  He didn’t have a filter—that had escaped him three or four shots ago—and he moaned into the kiss.

Sam felt like his skin was on fire; every graze of the other man’s fingertips had him feeling something he’d never experienced before.  This was desire on such a raw level.  No matter how close he pulled him, the fact that their bodies were completely flush...he still couldn’t get close enough.

Every lap inside his mouth, the tugs on his hair, he was breathless. And as soon as Gabriel started rolling his hips he was done for.

“We n-need to go.”

God, he hated that his voice sounded like a whimper, completely fucking wrecked.

Gabe sucked on his neck and asked, “Go where, Sammy?”

He was totally taking advantage of Sam’s desperate hands, of his greedy mouth, and the bulging erection he felt through his pants.  It was so unfair.   _Everything_ about Gabriel was unfair.

“Home, now.”

That’s all he could manage to get out.

“Want me to get you a cab?” Gabriel’s words were challenging and seductive at the same time.  “You calling it a night on me?”

“You’re coming with me.”  At least the alpha in Sam could rise to the surface, for that command alone.

“Am I?”  With another roll of his hips, he questioned, “You don’t think I’m gonna go through your things again?  What did you say—rob you?”

“I don’t give a fuck right now.” The admission slipped passed his lips, right as Gabriel nipped his jaw.

“You want me that bad, huh?”

“Are you trying to get me to beg?”  Sam grabbed Gabriel by the chin and forced their eyes to lock. “Because if you want this to continue?  It’s _not_ gonna be here.  I _am_ taking you home with me.”

Gabriel’s eyes were darkened by lust, and the scent of arousal was actually leaking through the blockers. “I love it when you get all dominant with me.” Then, without missing a beat, he slid off Sam’s lap and announced to the rest of the after-party, “See you fuckers later!”

Most of them waved from whatever they were doing, whether it was shots, or tongue-fucking a partner’s mouth.  Taking Sam’s hand in his, he dragged him through the club, back out through the entrance.

The younger alpha knew he had a boner, but he couldn’t find himself able to care, since the streets were practically vacant, like a ghost town.  Gabriel lit up a cigarette with the explanation of, “Might take a while to find a cab.” But Sam was much more optimistic than he was.

They walked along, Sam’s blood was still burning under the surface, until he caught sight of one a block down, heading their way.  

As he hailed the cab, he plucked the smoke from Gabriel’s mouth and tossed it, explaining haughtily, “Not as long as you’d think.”

Instead of getting pissed off that he was out a cigarette, his expression turned predatory as they hopped in the cab, and Sam rattled off the address.  It was different from the last apartment, Gabriel noted, but still just as close to campus.  It was then, he finally came to terms with the fact this kid wasn’t a Russian spy, and he was being paranoid as hell.

And the cab driver couldn’t drive fast enough.

\-----------------

It was around 6 a.m. when Gabriel woke up to a low vibration from where he knew his pants had to be somewhere in the apartment.  His arms were wrapped around Sam, after a fucking mind-blowing bout of rough kind-of sex, and while he didn’t want to answer it, he knew he had to.

Because the only one who could possibly be texting him at 6 a.m.was his goddamn brother.

It was difficult, untangling himself without waking Sam, and even more difficult leaving his warm body to find wherever the vibration had come from.  However, over the years, he had become a master of stealth.  He just wished…he could have woken up with the kid this time.

He was crouched on the floor when he read the message, and had to suppress a groan at its content:

_orgy successful however im not sure where i am nor who i knotted.  could u purchase plan b and by then ill know my coordinates_

Fucking idiot.

It was so difficult to stay silent, and he had to massage his brow, not from the hangover, but from the tension headache Castiel always fucking brought out in him.  Right after that text came another:

_megs probably upset with me may I stay with you a few days while she cools off_

Gabriel was glad his brightness was all the way down as he wrote back:

_ur a goddamn idiot.  Ill head to pharmacy u better have an address by then or ur hitchhiking home_

Then, another text came through:

_u didn’t answer my second question about allowing me to stay remember i did save your tall russian spy friend from roofies_

_fine_

Which was the answer he always gave Cas when he was pissed off.  Not like it mattered too much to the younger alpha, anyway.  There wasn’t too much that mattered to him at all, when he thought about it.

So, Gabe collected his clothes and got dressed.  Once in awhile, he’d steal a glance over to see Sam sleeping peacefully, deeply, and cursed his brother for ruining the moment they could have woken up together.  It was something he’d never wanted before.  But he wanted it now.

He sighed as he exited the room, but headed for the kitchen (without going through Sam’s belongings, this time) and scrawled out a note on the table.

Now, he needed to get a cab back to his place so he could pick up his car, then head to a Walmart, or something with a pharmacy that would be open at this hour, and clean up his brother’s mistake.  Like fucking _always_.

Although, he had to admit—if he hadn’t been babysitting the night before?—he probably wouldn’t have seen Sam Winchester again.  So maybe this was a favor he couldn’t be too upset about.

\--------------

Sam huffed angrily when he, once again, woke up to an empty bed.

His muscles were sore, in the best way possible—he could see hickeys already formed low on his naked hips—but the culprit was gone.  He tried his best to relax back into the bed and stare at the ceiling, but his posture was way too rigid.  He’d been used.

_Again_.

Why did he think this time would be any different?

He was stupid for thinking it’d turn out better than last time.

Sure, he’d hoped, and possibly prayed, that the other alpha would stay, but that was way too optimistic.

He needed to get in touch with reality.  While two one-night-stands were decently rare, it didn’t mean that’s not exactly what it was about.

Sex.

Did Sam want it to be about something more?  Was he being a little fucking girl about this whole thing?

Maybe, it was for the best.

Maybe, Gabriel was bad news.

The VIP group whom he had been hanging out with the night before was like the poisonous group he’d fought—tooth and nail—to get away from.  The only difference was that Gabe’s friends seemed to have way more money.  Gabriel’s scent had been laced with coke.  He’d been drinking liquor like prohibition was coming back into style, but…

The way he looked at Sam?  The way he treated him?  It wasn’t about the drugs and the sex.

Sam had his full attention, the entire night.  Just like last time.

The way he’d blown off the omega, round one, just to get to know him... The way he’d forgotten the rest of the VIP party the second a drunken, shameless Sam had pushed his way into their group... Gabriel didn’t even try to multitask; his entire focus was on him.  It made him feel special…

Yeah, he was being a total girl about that.

He sighed, and did exactly what he did last time he was shunned.

He pulled on some pajama pants and went to the kitchen to make some coffee.

Some strange kind of déjà vu happened, though.  Something he wasn’t expecting, at all.

Just like last time.  There was a note, scribbled in Gabriel’s handwriting:

_You’re most definitely my type_   
_Call me_

With a number, deliberately printed out, _much_ clearer than the words had been, at the very bottom.

Suddenly, a wide grin spread across Sam’s face, one he couldn’t control, even if he wanted to.  Although, he may be a little offended about the whole leaving before he woke up in the morning thing, but this?  This was progress.

Maybe there was a reason, maybe he was one of those guys who felt more comfortable getting up early and heading home.  No...he wouldn’t justify his actions, because they sucked, all the same.  He sighed, left the note there, and went to make his pot of coffee.  At least now his terrible mood had drained out, and it was for the best.  He had errands to run and work to do.

\---------------

Gabriel found himself at the front door of the address Castiel had sent him and, after seeing it was unlocked, he let himself in.  Noticing the living room was empty, he surveyed the ground level with the plastic bag hanging from his arm, and walked up the stairs.  Eventually, he found the bedroom, opened the door, and flicked on the lights.

When he saw Cas was the only one awake, and there were four more girls spread out on the king size bed, he clapped his hands and shouted out, “Rise and shine, bitches!”

While some jerked awake, some grumbled things like, ‘ _what the hell_ ’ and ‘ _turn the lights off._ ’  Which allowed Cas to slowly make his way through the bodies and off the bed to collect his clothes.  Gabriel groaned, because Cas was either still drunk or still high enough that he did nothing to cover himself up while he wandered, naked, through the room.

“All right,” Gabriel kept his voice booming, just because he knew all these women’s heads were probably throbbing, while he asked, “which one of you was the sperm receptacle last night?”

There was a redhead, half under the covers, blocking her face from the lights, who had her hand raised in the air.

“Good.  I like it when the easy are easy.”

He made his way towards the woman, ripped the covers back, and ordered her to sit up.  She looked dazed as he did so, and confused as he opened up a newly purchased bottle of water.

“Open your mouth,” he ordered, and jammed the pill in, and took it upon himself to raise the bottle to her lips.

Half of it went down her neck and naked breasts, but it wasn’t his problem.  He was in a pissed off mood, having to leave a certain someone in the morning, and he was getting a job done.  There was no doubt in his mind she’d swallowed the pill, so he capped off the bottle, and gave her the rest—he went out and bought it, so it was basically a present.  

Even though she didn’t think so.  She was glaring daggers at him, and trying to wipe away the ice-cold liquid from her bare skin, and demanded, “What the fuck!”

He shot her a mischievous smirk and explained, “Just keepin’ ya pupless, chica.  Wouldn‘t wanna ruin that lovely figure, now, would we?”

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Search and rescue.” He looked around for his brother, “Ready Cassie?”

With a slightly slow-motion nod, he waved him out of the room, didn’t bother flipping off the light switch, and they reached Gabe’s car in no time.

“Thank you,” Cas looked over, once they were on the road.

With a huff, he nodded, “Yeah, yeah.”

Even though Gabriel’s eyes were on the road, he could feel the intensity of his brother’s gaze on him.  It was something he was used to—a quirk Cas had practically been born with—but today it was particularly unnerving.

Finally, his younger brother spoke up, “You’re upset with me.  More than usual.  Why?”

He refused to dignify him with a response.

However, no matter how high or how drunk Cas was, the fucker was too smart for his own good.  Gabe could practically hear him mulling over thoughts from where he was sitting, deducing possibilities, and the next time he opened his mouth, he came to his conclusion.

“You were reunited with the spy last night.”

“ _Jesus_ , can we _stop_ calling him ’the spy?!’”

“I’m correct.” There was a smirk, Gabriel didn’t even have to see it, he could hear it in his voice.

“Yeah, yeah.  I was.  And I had to leave him before he woke up.  This time I didn’t want to, but I got an SOS from a certain hot mess relative who needed rescuing, so he’s probably pissed off, and will never talk to me again.”

Gabriel’s blockers had long since worn off, and the scent of frustration was filling the car by the second.  Hell, he could smell it, _himself_ , which meant it was bad.

Cas hummed thoughtfully, not affected by his brother’s words in the least.  “I find it doubtful.  If he chose to stay with you another night, after what you did the first time?  If he gave you another chance?  He’ll probably have many more for you.”

“All right, Buddha.”

The rest of the car ride was silent, until they pulled into Gabriel’s apartment complex, and he turned the car off.  While they were walking up the stairs, and before he could even unlock the door, his phone vibrated.

When he looked down, it was from an unknown number, which read:

_No more leaving before I wake up or else I’ll be tying you to the bed from now on_

Gabriel must not have known he was grinning from ear to ear until Cas perked up and said, “I was correct, wasn’t I?”

With a scoff, and unlocking of the door, he instructed, “You need another person to come save you from your orgies.  ‘Cause it looks like I may be out of service in the future.”

While Castiel raised a curious eyebrow, a yawn suddenly forced its way through his lungs and he nodded.  “Congratulations.  I’m going to take a nap.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

While Cas headed to the guest room, Gabriel headed to his room to do the same.  Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off the text message, thanking God he hadn’t fucked everything up.  Before he fell asleep, he added Sam’s contact info into his phone and he managed to type one message back:

_fuzzy handcuff should do the trick ;)_

 


	4. Chapter Three

It was another three days that Castiel was camping out in Gabriel’s spare bedroom.  He knew his brother crashing would be inevitable, which was why he had specifically gotten a two bedroom apartment.  It was kind of sad, when he thought about it.  How much he still considered that little shit a responsibility; but he couldn’t just _stop_ being a big brother.

It was also another three days since he’d heard from Sam.

Gabriel didn’t know why he was holding off, but it was mostly because he felt like the asshole who ‘hit-it-and-quit-it’ twice in a row, and wanted to give the other alpha his space.  After all, at least they had that first communication and he now had Sam’s number in his phone.  Which felt like a victory he hadn’t been expecting.

So when he finally got the text:

_Sam 1:15pm_  
_Hey what’s going on_

He tried not to answer back right away and look desperate.  Because he was.  He gave it a little while, since he was currently making lunch for himself and Cas, who had just finished smoking a bowl in front of the TV, and he knew his brother would be seconds away from taking control of the kitchen.  Or rather ransacking it.  Like a dirty fuckin’ pirate.

So Gabriel took it upon himself to feed his brother, or else he was bound to lose ninety percent of what was in his fridge.

After he made the sandwiches and brought a bag of chips with him that he _knew_ Cas would eat in one sitting, he responded back:

_Gabriel 1:35pm_  
_Food is going on what about u_

_Sam 1:39pm_  
_Same actually.  Figured I’d tell you I broke up with Madison_

While that caused Gabriel to smile, he had to hold it back.  Because his brother—

“You smell happy.”

_Fuck_ his brother.  And his keen senses.

So, he changed the subject. “How’s your food, Douche?”

“Wonderful,” Cas sighed into the bite. “I may ask for seconds.”

“That’s why I brought you the chips, or else yer gonna eat me outta house and home.” Gabriel punched the other alpha in the shoulder. “I’m not chargin’ ya for rent, but I’m about to make you go on a goddamn grocery run, fatass.”

With a frown, Cas lifted up his shirt and looked down to his toned abs. “I’m not really getting fat, am I?”

“You’re about to.”  Gabe finished his sandwich and set the plate on the table.  “All you’re getting are those chips.  Or I mean it—about the grocery run.”

“That’s seems acceptable.  Although, you know I don’t have any money—”

“I’d give you money.  No detours on your way to your dealers.”  Gabriel grabbed his phone. “What’s up with Meg?”

“I believe she’s close to forgiving me.”  Cas nodded slowly, snatching up the BBQ chips and digging in.  “I won’t know until this weekend.”

“Why’s that?”  Gabriel was poised to respond to Sam’s text, when his brother replied.

“Because that’s when she’s in heat.  She’ll either demand I come back or find someone else.”

“You’re _totally_ a hooker, dude.”

“I’ve been called worse things.”

\---------------

It was halfway through his salad when Sam’s phone finally lit up again.

He was kind of worried that he’d said “fuck it” and gotten right to the point.  Did that mean anything to Gabriel, now he was now ‘fully’ single?  Did the other alpha even want anything?  All these questions had been running through his mind, so he decided to ahead with it when he took the omega out to dinner the night before.

Sam gave Madison the ‘we’re better as friends’ speech, to which she’d gotten emotional and asked if it had anything to do with how drunk she’d gotten the other night.  She told him how embarrassed she was, that she wished she hadn’t, but Sam had cut her off.  He’d explained he didn’t want them to stop being friends, he loved hanging out with her, but they couldn’t hook up anymore.

By the end of their dinner, she finally understood and “needed some time,” but agreed she didn’t want to lose touch.  Which Sam decided was a win.

He wasn’t quite sure why he felt the need to text Gabriel almost immediately afterwards.

Or why he was nervous when he looked down:

_Gabriel 2:01pm_  
_this an off-again or a for real?_

He took a few more bites of his salad, before typing out:

_Sam 2:04pm_  
_Well I’m pretty sure I made her cry, so there’s that_

_Gabriel 2:06pm_  
_Oo that’s def a for real_

Then, there was a pause as Sam watched the ‘…’s as Gabriel typed out:

_Gabriel 2:09pm_  
_what would you have me do with this information? Need a wingman for the single life?_

With a scoff and a roll of his eyes, Sam picked the phone up with both hands and typed out:

_Sam 2:18pm_  
_Yeah actually.  There’s this alpha I’ve got my eye on but I never know where he’ll be or how to find him_

_Gabriel 2:22pm_  
_Alphas r easy to track I know a lot of em who hang out at jerry’s grill around 8 tonight if ur lookin 2 find one_

He really didn’t care if he looked like a dumbass, but he lit up at the text and mulled it over.  His night was free, even though he did have somewhere to be early the next morning.  It could work.  No, it _would_ work.

_Sam 2:31pm_  
_I’ll take your advice and see if I can find him.  Hopefully you’re not a shitty wingman_

_Gabriel 2:32pm_  
_Nah, im the best_

_Sam 2:35pm_  
_I’ll let you know how it goes_

_Gabriel 2:37pm_  
_that’s a lucky alpha ur tracking_

_Sam 2:41pm_  
_He’s not too bad.  Although he does have a shitty habit of running out on me.  If I find him, I’ll have to tell him the three strikes rule_

_Gabriel 2:43pm_  
_3 strikes and an apology bj??_

_Sam 2:59pm_  
_Guess he’ll find out when I find him_

\-------------------

Getting into the restaurant was easy on a weeknight.  As Gabriel sat and waited, he began musing if Cas really was going to go grocery shopping with the money he’d given him for the late-night errand, because he demanded proof with the receipt and _exact_ change.  He figured his little brother would probably think the errand was too much work, and spend the rest of his night sprawled out on the couch, until the pills kicked in and he climbed into bed.

Castiel really was a piece of work.

It wasn’t until someone slid into the booth seat in front of him, that he snapped out of his own thoughts.

A very tall, handsome someone.

“Looks like I found the alpha,” Sam said as a way of greeting.  “Where were you?  You looked spaced out.”

“Just thinking,” he answered, taking a sip of his drink. “But now I’ve got something way better on my mind.  Not to mention eye candy.”

“So you’re always a smart ass.  Not just when you’ve been drinking.”

“Caught me.” Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows as the waitress came over to see if Sam wanted anything to drink.

The alpha ordered an iced tea before looking back at Gabe and admitting, “I’ve never been here,” while he flipped open the menu. “What’s good?

“Besides _everything_?  Well,” he said as he flipped open his own menu, “here’s the ‘let’s get to know each other,’ rather than just fucking around part of our relationship, yeah?  What kind of stuff are you into?” Then, with a wink, Gabriel added, “When it comes to _food_.”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous this all was, but he appreciated the candid irony, as well as the fact Gabriel kept his inappropriate comments quiet enough other tables couldn’t hear him.  Sure, the alpha was shameless, but at least he wasn’t embarrassing.  Well, _too_ embarrassing.

Speaking of embarrassing…

“My brother says I eat like a rabbit, if that tells you anything.”

“All right.” Gabriel rubbed his hands together, looking over the choices.  “If we’re talkin’ rabbit food, I know just the thing.”

\-------------

Over the course of the night, something Sam found out about Gabriel was that he had a ridiculous sweet tooth.  Like, to the point he ordered light, to save room for dessert.  He was outrageously quirky, and alcohol or not, Gabe was…Gabe.

He was open, brash, and unafraid to speak his mind.

Although, when they were playing another (sober) round of twenty questions, the thing he always skirted around was his past.

Yet, Sam didn’t blame him.  Because there were a few things he wasn’t too proud of himself.

Even though they were technically ‘splitting’ dessert, Sam decidedly made his spoonfuls small so Gabriel got the majority of it, since every bite lit the alpha up with a strange amount of joy.  And that happened to be something Sam liked seeing.

One thing that Sam had to ask—one thing that was borderline invasive, in fact—that he could no longer keep to himself was, “So, why the blockers?  I don’t think I know a single alpha who wears them.”

“Yeah, you do.” Gabriel pointed his spoon at Sam with a grin, then turned it around. “Me.  Duh.”

“Obviously.  But why?  Or is that something you don’t want to talk about?”

Gabriel shrugged for a second, mulling over the thought, before deciding. “I like to fly under the radar.  And my scent, well...it doesn’t.”

“What does that mean?”

Now Sam was thoroughly intrigued.  So much so, he set his utensil down and sat back to watch him.  Gabriel was giving him something, here.  Or, at least, he was considering about giving him something.

“I like to be unassuming.” Gabriel scooped the last huge bite of dessert into his mouth and chewed, maybe giving himself time to think.

“You’re a lot of things, Gabe, but ‘unassuming’ sure isn’t one of them.” Sam rolled his eyes and chuckled.

“Ya ever scented a true alpha, kid?”

Now, Sam was caught _completely_ off guard.

“I’ve always worn some kind of blockers.  Just depended on the situation.  Figured heavy ones were my best bet, because.  Well.  True alpha probs.”  He washed down the last bite with his water.  “Does that freak you out?”

Sam was watching him curiously and his words seemed to tumble out before his brain registered. “You’re seriously a true alpha?”

While trying to figure out his reaction, Gabe pasted on an award-winning smile and clucked his tongue. “Now, that is one of my big secrets that’s out in the open.  Since you seemed interested.  But, I’ll ask again, does that freak you out?”

With the shake of his head, and another word vomit, “I wanna scent you.  Like, the real you.”

“Oo, how forward of you, Sir.  Makes a girl like me blush.” He tried to laugh it off.

Sam was still watching him, but he knew for a fact his own scent didn’t hold an ounce of ‘freaked out’ in it.  Because he wasn’t.  He was being honest about the discovery; he was more intrigued than anything.  

Which, if Gabe was telling the truth, meant he thought the reveal may scare the other alpha away.  That had to be part of the reason this ‘true alpha’ wanted to get that out in the open.  So it wasn’t a deal breaker, later down the line.

Or Sam was assuming.  
  
Since he was kind of hoping there _was_ a later down the line with Gabriel.

Gabe took advantage of Sam’s microscope gaze analyzing him to hand the waitress his card before the other alpha could even fight him for splitting the bill.

Once he saw what happened, Sam gave him what could only be described as an offended bitch face, and huffed, “You didn’t have to do that, we—”

“I lured you out here to find an alpha,” Gabriel shook a finger at him, “it’s only fair.  You’re too pretty to pay for any part of the bill.”

Sam crossed his arms on the table and shook his head, but ended up chuckling, so Gabe counted that as a win.  Once their server brought back the receipt, Gabriel was quick to sign it and push it away since the name on the card wasn’t his; it was one of his aliases.  That happened to be a story he wasn’t ready to dive into with Sam on the ‘first date.’

When they were both getting ready to leave, Gabe insisted he walk Sam to his car.

Which made the wheels turn.

And had Sam worrying.

Had he messed something up?  Did Gabe want to end the night here?  Sure, he said something about having to work in the morning, but it didn’t seem like it would have deterred Gabriel any other time.

Before he knew it, they were already there and Sam realize there had been a long lapse of time where he’d been in his head.  Where the conversation had lulled.  Where they’d been walking in complete silence.  
  
Maybe he really _had_ messed something up.

But Gabriel was wearing a smirk when he said, “Glad you listened to your wingman, kid.”

“Yeah?  I think I am, too.”

“Think?”  He raised an eyebrow in a small challenge. “What’s there to think about?”

Sam shrugged, about to say something, but before he knew it he was shoved against the car while being dragged down to Gabriel’s lips.  His mouth was pure seduction; teasing at Sam’s pliancy, taking advantage of the other alpha being caught off guard.  The way Gabriel playfully bit at his lips, but trailed his tongue along their crease, until it brushed up against Sam‘s.

That sprung him into action, grabbing a fistful of Gabriel’s coat, trying to get closer as the kiss intensified.  It was fervorous, wanting and…over _too soon_.

Gabriel pulled away with a shit-eating grin, before he nipped lightly at Sam’s neck, pointing out, “Your scent’s amazing when you’re all riled up.”

Then, he took a step back.

Sam whimpered at the loss of contact; while it was so minimal, Gabriel noticed it and his smirk widened.

“I’m gonna be a gentleman tonight, Sammy.”  He was still close enough to run his hands through the taller alpha’s hair.  “Wanna try to do this right?”

That’s when it hit Sam, that Gabriel was being serious.  Like, _truly_ serious.

It was so hard to determine what was real and what was a joke to him, because it was part of his personality.  But this?  He hadn’t been fucking around.  At all.

Sam was still a little breathless when he nodded, “Yeah.  We can try.” He was attempting not to give all of himself up, just yet.

He needed to be collected.  He needed to play it cool.  Or else Gabriel was going to eat him alive.

More than he already was.

So, Sam countered by closing the distance—one more time—and kissing him sweetly and chastely on the lips.

When he pulled away he maintained an intense amount of eye contact as he said, “Text me?”

“Yep.”  Gabriel reached around and squeezed a handful of Sam’s ass, because he couldn’t help himself. “We’ll talk soon.”

Sam jerked at the touch, before he shook his head and pushed him by the shoulder. “Yeah, yeah,” as he unlocked the door to his car.  “See ya, Gabe.”

With a wave, Gabriel turned and walked away to where his car was parked in the garage.  It was a good thing he left, because Sam had to sit in the driver’s seat a little longer than usual while he replayed the events of the night.  It’d been awesome.  A real honest-to-goodness date.  With an alpha he’d already slept with.

Twice.

The circumstances were strange—but the more time he spent with Gabriel, the more he learned about him—the more, of _both_ , he wanted.

Was it a knot-head thing to be disappointed they didn’t fall into bed next to one another again tonight?  Or should he appreciate Gabriel was really taking this seriously?

He decided on the latter.

As he turned the car on and pulled out of the structure, he couldn’t believe how different the night had turned out from what he’d expected.  And he couldn’t be happier to be surprised by the events.

\-------------------

The two continued to text over the next week, but never had a day that lined up where they could see each other again.  Gabriel’s ‘low profile job’ was in it’s busy season, and Sam’s preparation for law school was getting the best of him.  It turned out that Sam was one of those people who needed to be ‘overly prepared,’ and never procrastinated.

The complete opposite of Gabriel, to the point it was laughable.

And _really_ adorable.

It was only fate that their schedules allowed a last-minute ‘first date,’ but they were still texting whenever they got the chance.

Sam talked about his nerves going into law school, but Gabriel reminded him, time and time again, that he made it this far.  On, what he had been told one of the drunken nights, was a full-ride scholarship.  He could probably miss the first full week of school and no one would give a fuck.  

Except Sam.  

Sam had many fucks to give.

But, he knew it made the other alpha laugh and relax all the same.  Which Gabriel gave himself a pat on the back for.  Although he knew Sam was kind of uptight about academics, Gabe could be there for him to tease and tell him not to take it so seriously, and he thought he was doing a pretty bang-up job.

The beginning of summer was the time people really let loose, which was why Gabriel was busy at his place of employment.  Which happened to be bartending at a strip club.  It was unassuming, easy work, and the club had a decent rep.  For a titty bar.  Not to mention, it was a place Cas decided to go to a lot, since he had to offer his brother a few drinks ‘on the house’ in an effort to watch him, when he wasn’t staying with him.

Gabriel had always liked the atmosphere.  The atmosphere of bars, that was.  People were always in a good mood, always there to have a good time.  Or, when you had the occasional patron there to ‘drown their sorrows’, Gabriel was _damn good_ at cheering them up.  Not to mention, slipping a little extra liquor and pointing to someone who’d been checking them out always worked wonders.

It was weird, but he felt like he belonged there.

And, once again, with the warmer weather they opened a rooftop patio as part of the club.  They played live music, but you still had to get your drinks downstairs.

Which was why Gabriel was asked to pick up more shifts.

Well, not ‘Gabriel’.

He didn’t give out his real name easily.  In fact, he was surprised he’d told the omega and Sam the first night, but he was pretty much trashed.  He blamed it on babysitting problems with his fucking pain in the ass brother.  He’d learned, since then, always to introduce yourself as someone else.

Right now, he was going by the alias of ‘Richard.’

The name that was on all the credit cards he used, and half the safe deposit boxes.

There was a whole slew of others.

But for now, he was Richard while working here and that’s who all his paychecks were made out to.  He was lucky he had a friend who worked in creating new identities, because this one had been pulled off legit as fuck.  No one at the club was the wiser, and he intended to keep it that way.

He was getting ready for a shift at work when he noticed Cas was gathering his things and had commented to his brother, “So.  Lemme guess.  Meg’s using you as her heat sex toy?”

He nodded solemnly and replied, “It seems she’s forgiven me.”  But then tacked on, with a knowing grin, “You’ll have the apartment to yourself again.  So you won’t have to hold back on bringing your crush home on my account.”

With a loud snort, and roll of his eyes, Gabriel groaned, “Crush?  That’s the best you can come up with?  That’s sucha middle school word.  C’mon, Cas, be more creative than that, you're a smart boy.”

“Hmm,” he considered it, tapping a finger on his chin. “Newest obsession?  Infatuation?  But I think crush is the best term, since you do resemble a middle school student when you communicate.”

“You’re a dick.”

“And you can finally graduate to high school and bring him home to fuck.” Cas placed an encouraging hand on Gabriel’s shoulder and squeezed it.

“Yeah, doubt it,” he huffed under his breath, and shrugged off Castiel’s touch.

“What do you mean?”  His voice was curious as he finished packing his bag.

“Nothing.”

“No, that wasn’t ‘nothing.’”

Shit, he shouldn’t have said anything, because Cas was like a dog with a bone.  Or a lion with a goddamn gazelle carcass.

“It’s just the whole alpha thing,” he finally admitted.  “I still don’t know how he feels about it.  He’s just a normal kid, you know?  I’m waiting for the day he over thinks it and freaks out.”

With the tilt of his head, Cas slowly said, “But you two have been in communications for nearly a month now.  And you’ve had two sexual encounters, am I correct?”

“You need to speak like a human once in awhile!”  Gabriel threw his arms in the air, in an attempt to change the subject.  “Ya goddamn robot.”

“He’s had enough time to ‘think it over.’” Cas used his damn air quotes before he zipped up the bag and threw it over his shoulder.  “You never give yourself enough credit, Gabriel.  Did you ever think that it doesn’t matter?  Because you’re worthwhile?  Despite the fact you’re both alphas?”

“And lookie there, another spark of wisdom,” he couldn’t help but chuckle as he patted his brother on the back.  “Alright, I gotta finish getting ready for work.  Just keep everything safe with Meg, okay?  I like her, but I don’t want to be an uncle yet.  Stay hydrated, and don’t piss her off.”

“I’ll do my best.” He flashed a thumbs up, and the next second was out the door, shutting it behind him.

Gabriel exhaled deeply, trying not to delve into his brother’s words, because he had a long night of work ahead of him, and he didn’t want the Sasquatch to be on his mind the whole time.  Well, more than he already was.

He wanted to see him again.

And he wanted it to be soon.

\---------------

The only good thing that happened at the strip joint that night was a single text from Sam he received the second he was finished with his break, that read:

_Sam 8:14pm_  
_So when do I get to see you again?_

Which made him feel like a huge ass, because it was a rule they had to leave their phones in the back room.  Which meant he couldn’t respond until after two.  He was thinking about typing something back really quick.  And he _would_ have, if the manager hadn’t made her way back to grab another keg for behind the bar and given him a look.

So, he had to stow it in his locker and think on his response, because to be honest, he had to look at his goddamn calendar to even remember when his next free night was.  Or, at least when his next opening shift was so he could get out early, like a normal human.

He made his way back to the bar, which was fucking packed because it was a Friday night, and began to work on autopilot.

That was, until an unknown voice who was ordering a beer said, “Hey, I’ve seen you before.”

Gabriel looked up trying to hide his confusion, until he recognized the face of a man who’d been celebrating with Sam the night they’d all gotten into law school.

So he pasted on a smile, and answered, “You look familiar, too,” and played dumb, “have you been here before?”

“Yeah, but that’s not where I know you from.” The man was leaning on the bar, and it was at that point that Gabriel _knew_ he was trying to scent him.  “Sam ditched us to hang out with you and some of your classy friends.”

Gabriel laughed and countered with, “We were all pretty drunk that night, I didn’t even know who he was there with.”

“You’re Gabriel, right?”  The man extended a hand across the bar, which had the alpha’s hackles raising, hoping none of his coworkers overheard his real name.  “I’m Tyson.  But my friends call me Brady.”

It was crowded and noisy, so he figured there was nothing to worry about when he returned the handshake and said, “Nice to meet you, Brady.  How do you know my name?”

“Sam talks about you.”  This alpha’s scent was off, and Gabriel didn’t like it one bit.  “Surprised to see you here, actually.”  He reached into his wallet to pay for his drink, plus an obnoxiously large tip—it was almost like a statement.  “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Yeah, you too.”  Gabriel was faking a smile so hard, his cheeks hurt.

When he watched the alpha walk away, all he was left with was bad vibes.  Of course he recognized him from the celebration.  He’d never gotten close enough to scent him, but his sharp nose was telling him the man was a snake.  A snake covered in cigarette smoke, with traces of cocaine.  He didn’t want to get all overprotective of Sam, he didn’t want to be _that_ alpha, but he knew this man wasn’t someone he should be associating himself with.

Not to mention the fact, Brady knew _Gabriel_ , not _Richard_ , and he could easily give him up here.

It was obvious when Brady tried to scent him, he was trying to figure out whether he was a beta or an omega.  Because this wasn’t posturing, so Sam hadn’t told this dude he was an alpha.  But either way, maybe Gabriel was encroaching on his territory?  Who knew what this guy was about.

Who knew what Sam had told him.

But he knew for a fact Sam would soon know just where to find him, where he worked, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.  It was…just a thing.

Either way, Gabriel’s alpha kind of hated the man.

\------------

After the rest of his shift flew by without seeing Brady again (he figured the alpha just came by to sniff around) he found himself dead on his feet, pulling off his clothes and taking a quick shower.

When he collapsed into bed, he realized he had never responded to Sam’s text.  He retrieved his phone from the pocket of his jeans to write back:

_Gabriel 2:49am_  
_Sorry long night just got home Sunday?_

And then realized he was an idiot when he looked at the time.  Hopefully, the text hadn’t woken Sam up, but at least when he got up in the morning he would know Gabe hadn’t been blowing him off.

Needless to say, the alpha was surprised when his screen lit up in the darkness of the room.

_Sam 2:51am_  
_I could do Sunday_

And, because he was sleep-deprived and because he could, Gabriel wrote back:

_Gabriel 2:53am_  
_I could do u_

_Sam 2:54am_  
_Is that a joke or a promise?_

_Gabriel 2:56am_  
_What do u want it 2 b?_

Quickly followed by:

_Gabriel 2:57am_  
_R u still up or did I wake u up_

_Sam 2:59am_  
_Maybe.  Yes.  And no_

Gabriel said fuck it, pulled the phone away, and hit the call button.

“Hey,” Sam answered with a bit of confusion in his voice, but Gabriel was happy to hear he really was wide awake.

“What are you doing up so late, anyway?”  Gabriel hadn’t meant for that to be his opening line, but it slipped past his lips anyway.

With a heavy sigh, the voice on the other line responded, “We were given a bunch of summer reading material and work to get done before school started.  I was working on it with a friend and something came up tonight, on his end.  I wanted to get it done so I ended up doing his half of the work too, just in case whatever happened kept him from getting to it.  I know his grandma has been sick for a while, and I hope it wasn't that, but it could've—”

“Wouldn’t happen to have been Brady, would it?”  Gabriel was taking a shot in the dark, but he had a feeling.

“ _What_?  Yeah.”  Sam sounded almost baffled and then hesitant to ask, “How did you know that?”

“Because I’m psychic.  Wanted to save that ‘til the second date,” he teased, shifting around in bed to get more comfortable.

“Oh.  Of course.”  Gabriel could hear the eye roll, from his room.  “But really.  I didn’t even think you knew each other.”

“Didn’t.  Sorry to say that what ‘came up’ tonight with him sure as hell wasn’t anything with his grannie.  It was probably his dick.  Since I officially met him at a strip club.”

“Wait—” It was obvious Sam didn’t know what in those sentences he needed to tackle first.  “How did you guys meet?  He ditched me to go to a strip club?  And you were at a strip club?”

His voice was growing in disbelief by every question and Gabriel had to hold himself back from laughing when he responded, “He introduced himself to me, because I’m a bartender there.  Apparently, recognized me from last time you guys had a night on the town.  So, sorry, kiddo.  You got duped.”

“ _Goddammit_ ,” Sam huffed in annoyance.

So, Gabriel had to ask, “Who you directing that ‘goddammit’ toward?”

“Brady.  He can be such an ass.  I just wasted a fuckin’ night being worried about him and all this fucking work—” then he paused.  “What did he say to you?”

“The usual, how you can’t stop gabbing about me and how awesome I am, and then failed _miserably_ at trying to scent me.” With a heavy sigh, he admitted, “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.  I was totally planning to call with the intro of ‘what are you wearing’ but this Brady dude is a _huge_ cock-block, I guess.”

“Yeah.”  Sam’s voice had ran out of fuel.

That was something that Gabriel didn’t like one bit.

“So Sunday.  You still into it?”

His voice perked up a lilt when he answered, “That’d work out for me.  So, not a racecar driver or a drag queen.  You’re a bartender?”

“Caught me.  So, congrats, now you know way more about me than I know about you.  Plus, some of the mystery’s gone...am I way less appealing?”

While he was joking, he was only half-joking.  It was more like…testing the waters, so to speak.

“Racecar drivers are boring,” Sam easily responded, and then a yawn interrupted what he was going to say next.  “Shit, sorry, I guess how late it is really just caught up with me.”

“Phone sex next time,”  Gabriel ordered, “it’s a requirement.”

“Oh, is it?”  The laugh that came from Sam’s end of the line was bright and genuine, a night and day difference from his earlier annoyance and frustration.  “Rain check.”

“Good, good.  Get some sleep, then we can text about Sunday.”

“Sounds like a plan.  I’ll, uh, talk to you soon.”

“Nighty night, Moose.”

Once again, he could hear the eye roll as he finished with, “G’night, Gabe,” and they hung up.

The lights were already off in the room and, once the glow from his phone faded, everything was completely dark.  If he was being totally honest, it was nice to hear Sam’s voice, even briefly.  Even though the conversation hadn’t gone as planned.  He literally loathed speaking on the phone, but with the other alpha?  It was bearable.  All right; it was a little more than bearable, he _enjoyed_ it.

Even though there wasn’t phone sex.  

Weird.  

Because phone sex, and SOS’s were the only thing Gabriel ever used the phone for.  And somehow he could deal with this.  Happily.

\-----------

Sam didn’t know whether or not to call Brady out on his bullshit when they met for lunch to go over the work Sam’d spent _all fucking night_ working on Friday.  He’d brought the books, the index cards, and all the papers he had typed up—which amounted to hours upon hours of work.

When his friend blew him off for a strip club.

He noticed right away that Brady was wearing blockers.

Which meant he was hiding a hangover.

But what he told Sam was there were problems in the family. He was probably making the assumption that Sam’s gullible kindness would believe they were in place to cover up his ‘sorrow’.

After they’d had a cup of coffee and finished the first round of notes (which were supposed to fall into _Brady‘s_ workload), Sam said fuck it and asked casually, “So, I bet last night beat the hell out of this, huh?”  He pasted on a smile as he waved the piece of paper in the air, before slapping it down on the table in front of his friend.

Brady looked confused, but before he even asked, Sam interrupted.

“Don’t lie to me.  If you want a night off, just fucking say it, okay?  Don’t guilt me into doing your work.  Just pull a double shift and carry your weight later.”  His eyes narrowed, as he leaned into the table.  “We didn’t have to do this Friday, we could have done it today or Sunday, but thanks to me?  Guess the rest of the weekend’s open.  You’re welcome.”

“Should have known he would have told you.”  Brady huffed and at least had the decency to look embarrassed. “It was a last minute thing, and if I had to read through any more of these books, my brain was going to explode, Sam.  We need to pace ourselves, we need to have fun for a change!”

“I know, and voila!  Go party your ass off.  Read over the work I’ve done.  The work _I’ve_ done for _you_.  But you owe me.”  Sam scrubbed a hand down his face with a groan.

“You’re just upset because the work’s keeping you from your boyfriend,” Brady said in a way that was supposed to show support, but something in his tone was asking more.  “I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you, okay?  And now you’ve got the whole weekend to spend with him.”

“He works tonight,”  Sam deadpanned, not giving up any more information.  He wanted to make his friend feel guilty, dammit.

“Then Sunday?”

Sam shrugged.

“He’s an energetic little thing.”  The other alpha decided to take this in a completely new direction.  “The bar was so full, I didn’t really get to talk to him, but how on earth do you keep up with him?”  Brady snorted, and shook his head. “He was making those tips, let me tell you.  Never witnessed a bartender more on his game.  And the way he knew who to flirt with and who to joke with?  He’s one of a kind.”

Sam knew he was trying to get under his skin, although he didn’t know why.  “Yeah, he really is.”

“I tried to figure it out, but I couldn’t.”  Brady set his elbows on the table and rested his chin on a closed fist.  “Omega or beta?  I don’t know if he was wearing blockers, or everyone’s scent was on him.  But I’m intrigued.”

“Does it matter?”  With a gesture to the papers, Sam glared, “We’re not here to talk about Gabriel.  We’re here to catch you up on what you missed.  I don’t get why you’re so interested in him, anyway.”

“Because _you’re_ so interested.  I can tell by your scent.  I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing you enamored with anyone like this before.”

“You were around me and Madison.”

“That had nothing on this.”

“Can we please drop it?”  Now Sam was getting really fucking frustrated.  “Seriously.  Let’s finish up this bullshit and get the hell out of here.  I’m still pissed off at you for ditching me.”

“And I said I’ll make it up to you,” Brady was earnest.  “Consider it dropped.  All right, great. Back to making my brain hurt.”

“You have no idea.”

\-----------

The more Brady’s words echoed in his head, the more Sam realized he had done enough work to have the rest of the weekend free.  And he didn’t exactly know what to do with himself.  He found sitting on the couch bored him out of his mind.  Channel surfing wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and, although he knew his friends were out tonight that wasn’t exactly his scene.

It was actually funny how boring he really was these days.

He threw himself into studying, much like he had his younger years.

He’d gotten the ‘party scene’ out of his system, now that he knew where the path could lead to.  Except, an invitation from Brady seemed to be tempting.

Only because of how fucking bored he was.

An invitation that read:

_Brady 10:39pm_  
_Wanna go out tonight and visit your bf at work? ;)_

And so what if it caught his attention.  The things Brady had said to him, in passing, kind of caught his attention.  He had to respond.

_Sam 10:41pm_  
_You making it up to me and buying?_

_Brady 10:43pm_  
_Of course princess_

_Sam 10:45pm_  
_Let me get dressed_


	5. Chapter Four

Just as Sam was headed down to call a cab, Brady pulled up in front of his apartment.  He frowned slightly when the passenger side window rolled down and his friend shouted out, “Hop in!”

When he opened the door to the front seat, there were already four others in the back, and he didn’t like the scents surrounding them.  Half were already drunk, Brady smelled of coke, and then there was another scent.  

One which was getting closer, as a hand reached out and grabbed his bicep.

He was already turning around as Madison cooed, “Glad you decided to join us tonight, Sam,” and smiled brightly at him.

“Oh, yeah,” before he shot Brady a look.

The alpha shrugged, ignoring his glare as he pulled onto the freeway.

Sam recognized a beta and another alpha in the backseat as some of his classmates, chatting it up, but it was obvious Madison’s attention was on him.  Shit.  Did Brady do this intentionally?  He _knew_ they’d broken up.  And the omega female was, apparently, too drunk to care.  Like, _at all_.

It was looking more and more like he should have stayed at home.  When the beta in back rolled down the window and pulled out a pack of cigs, Sam didn’t hesitate to do the same.  He was uncomfortable.  He hoped he didn’t show it too badly, but no one seemed to care.  In fact, he chain-smoked until they arrived, when Brady spun into a parking spot in the back between two cars.

That’s when his friend killed the lights, rolled up the windows, and pulled out a little baggie of cocaine.

“Who’s in?”  He flashed a brilliant charismatic smile as he began spreading it on the center console.  “Sam?”

“Nah, I’m good.”  He laughed, and tried to brush it off.

“Really?”  He used the taut line of a fifty dollar bill to shuffle the powder into five lines, asking, “All work and no play isn’t a good look for you.”

“What can I say,” he watched as the beta grabbed the fifty, rolling it up, before ducking forward and snorting the line.

Then passing it to Madison.

He was about to say something, but then remembered what she did was none of his damn business.  If he said something, it would look like he cared.  It would look like he was an alpha protecting _his_ omega and he had no business doing so.  Instead, he looked forward out the windshield and waited.

Waited for them to finish this bullshit, and soon there was only one line left.

Brady smacked him playfully on the arm, before his voice showed a bit of disbelief, “Really, Sammy?  It’s not like it’s fuckin’ heroin, or something stupid like that.  It’s just coke.”

And that comment stabbed him so fucking deep, he had bite the inside of his cheek to cover it up.  So he laughed and said, “Nah, I was just looking to chill out tonight, remember,” and returned the teasing smack with one of his own.  “It’s all yours, dude.”

“If you insist.”  His voice didn’t indicate he felt bad in the least, as he finished the last of it.  “Whoo!  Let’s get this party started!”

“You gonna hook up with that stripper again?”  Their beta friend began harassing him. “I hope you used a fuckin’ condom, that chick was trashy as hell.”

“Hey!  Did you see her tits!”  Brady pointed a deliberate finger as they exited the car.  “And yes.  No way my dick was getting wet in _that_ without some kind of titanium barrier.”

Sam was confused, because he’d never seen this side of Brady.  He didn’t know how much he’d drank before this, he didn’t know he did drugs, and whether or not this was recreational or something more common.  He was feeling all kinds of uncomfortable, and he’d been lured here because he had nothing better to do.

No, scratch that.

He’d been lured here because he’d been kind of excited to see _Gabriel_.  Brady knew how to play his cards, the dick.

But if his alpha was bartending, it’s not like they’d be able to hang out.  Sam was about to be stuck with this group, with no way out.  This wasn’t going to be worth it, and in a way, he felt trapped.  But he took a deep breath in, and tried to ignore the way he could feel Madison’s eyes watching his every move.

He hated the fact that he knew exactly what her motivations were tonight.  She was wearing more than just her heart on her sleeve, and it could be read—loud and clear—with both her scent and her body language.  But Sam had made it a clean break, so he had no idea why this was happening.  Why she wasn’t getting it.

It was such a catch twenty-two.

He needed a drink to distract himself from the situation, and to see Gabriel.  But he also needed to stay on his toes, because who knows what was going to happen with this group.  Hopefully, he wasn’t in over his head.

\--------------

When Cas jumped up on a barstool in front of his brother and announced, “Your crush slash infatuation slash new obsession is here,” with a motion for a new drink, Gabriel shook his head.

“You think I don’t know that?”  He begrudgingly mixed Cas another drink.  “Which means you and I don’t know each other, remember?”

“Ahh, yes.  I do remember.  But I’m a patron, getting another beverage.”  He dramatically winked. “Has he said hello yet?”

“Don’t think he’s spotted me.” Gabriel leaned close. “But if I know you, _you’ve_ done a walk by.  What’s going on?”

Cas had that damn Cheshire-grin that was half because Gabriel was right, and half from the pills’ effects running through his veins. “Here with his study-buddies and that lovely girl he was with last time.  Lotsa coke in the air.  Very interesting.”

“Madison?”  The alpha could feel his hackles raise, because he’d spotted Brady, whose height was obvious from across the bar—and whom he officially hated— with Sam, but the omega?

“Oh, that’s her name?”  Cas tsked to himself. “Perhaps I should introduce myself to her.  She’s lovely.”

“Fifty bucks says Sam’ll punch you in the face, if he recognizes you.”  Gabriel had a bit of alpha protectiveness brewing in his stomach.  Something he absolutely loathed, but it was there.

“Oo, he likes it rough, does he?”

“Get out of here.”

Castiel blew a kiss at him, and took his drink before Gabriel had a chance to make him pay for it.  It didn’t matter, anyways.  Cas always managed to skip off without paying his bill.  However, he never let his friends know, so they always paid theirs (plus a shit-ton of tips because they were just that messed up), so in the end a few (dozen) drinks didn’t really matter, did they?

Of course, Gabe had scented the moment Sam had walked in and it surprised the hell out of him.  Although he couldn’t see him, he could scent him drawing closer and then...retreating?  He figured out it was because the group had found a table.  He could always rely on his brother for sticking his nose into things, but he didn’t like the information he’d gotten.

Why the hell was he still hanging out with Madison?

It wasn’t like there was a ‘them’ yet, but Sam had deliberately made it a point to tell him there _wasn’t_ a ‘him and Madison.’  So what was going on?

Not to mention the drug thing.

And Sam knew where he worked; that had been addressed the previous night.

So why the hell was he here, and ordering drinks from a table rather than saying hi?

Okay, it’d only been about fifteen minutes, but it was still fifteen minutes too long, in Gabriel’s opinion.

So when his co-worker behind the bar wasn’t looking, he may have taken a shot or two.  It’s not like they had an intensely strict set of rules to follow here, but if she found out, she’d begin asking him questions.  Questions he didn’t want to answer.  So he had to be sneaky.  Since, if he was found out, a shot or two later, he could always say ‘this was his first one.’

Godammit.

\-------------

Sam knew he was lured here because they’d boxed him right in the middle, Madison blocking his escape path.  Of course, a topless waitress came over immediately to get their drink orders, and even though Brady knew Sam wanted to order from the bar, he insisted they sit here and chat for a while.  Even though the main reason Sam had decided to come was still far away.

And Madison was too close.

Way too close.

Brady was chatting with the other alpha, while Sam was attempting to have a conversation with the beta, but Madison must have drank a lot before she came here.  Because she was becoming daring.  She was leaning in to be a part of the chat but setting her hand on Sam’s thigh in the process, in order to get close enough to hear.  She wasn’t very stealthy.

But what could he really say about it?

He couldn’t freak out about it.  Because there wasn’t really anything to freak out about.  Not unless her hand traveled higher.

As soon as they got their drinks, Sam drained his, and Brady caught notice right away, and called him out, “That eager to see that boyfriend of yours?”

“Boyfriend?”  Madison jerked back, looking at him in confusion.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” as soon as those words left his mouth, he could see her grin, and he needed to cut off her drunk train of thought, “he’s someone I’m seeing.”

But those words didn’t seem to get through to her.  She lifted her glass, and suggestively tongued at the straw, while asking, “How’d you meet him?”

“Yeah, Sam?  Never got the full story!”  Brady asked, halting all conversation, and directing it to him.

“Uh,” he stumbled in his speech, as he glanced around the table, everyone hanging on his every word.  “We actually meet over a year ago and lost touch.  Then we reconnected a while after that—”

“Was it the night we were out celebrating?”  His friend egged on, “When I caught you in that VIP party with him?”

“We were still together that night,” Madison’s eyes widened when she realized that.  “But that means if you’re just seeing him you’re not _really_ together, right?”

Sam knew ‘Madison speak.’  He knew that meant ‘you’re not committed.’  That was the part of the story she was zoned in on?  This was annoying, and bullshit.  She was high as a kite, and he knew where this was going.  Especially, since it was new.  And really new.

He felt cornered, he felt—

“Can I have a sip of that, Mads?”

Fine, he’d just use this to his advantage.

So he drank the rest of her drink, which had her confused and unable to figure out what to say, until Sam informed her, “I’ll go get us both refills.”

“Oh, thank you,” she stepped out of the booth, to let him pass her.

When she stepped back in, Brady snorted, “You know his boyfriend is the bartender, right?”

Her eyes widened, like she’d been tricked, “You didn’t mention _that_ when you said ‘you’re eager to see him!’”

“You need to learn to read between the lines,” Brady rolled his eyes from where his cheek was resting against his palm.  “You need to step up your game at winning him back.  He told me he misses you, but you just gave him a reason to visit his latest distraction.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulders before reaching out and drinking Brady’s drink in one go, “Oh, look at that!  Now _you_ need a refill, too.”

He clapped her on the back, “That’s my girl.”

\--------------

Gabriel was in the middle of filling a tray full of shots for some ‘girl's night out’ when he finally scented the other alpha getting closer.  He could tell he was having a hard time dodging and weaving through the crowd, because it was a Saturday night, but it gave Gabriel enough time to get his thoughts together.

So what, if he rushed though the shots he was mixing a little.

He heard Sam’s voice before he saw him, with a cheerful, “Gabe, hey,” and finally seeing the man was a beautiful sight.

He knew he had to play dumb, so when he slid on over to face Sam, he pointed to the empty cups and pouted, “You didn’t come see me first?”

“I would’ve.  Group wanted to sit down.  Trust me,” he huffed, “Wasn’t my idea.”

“What’s wrong,” he asked, point blank, because now that he was up close and personal, he could tell Sam’s scent was off.

Which was why, already knowing what Sam drank, he topped him off but then he also poured him (and himself) a shot.

“Tonight wasn’t what I expected,” the alpha shrugged, and then blinked as the drinks were set down in front of him.

Gabe clinked the glasses together, and after they both tossed them back, asked, “What?  You expected classy women, jazz music and cigars?”

At least that made Sam smile, and laugh, “Nah, just—”

“Sam!”  Came a very feminine shout, followed by a gorgeous face, who latched onto his arm and announced, “There you are!  Have you gotten our refills yet?  Brady sent me to get one for him, too.  We may as well get a pitcher of beer, so we don‘t have to harass the waitress or the bartenders as much.”

Her voice was as sweet as her face, and she squeezed Sam’s arm and looked to see only Sam’s drink had been refilled.

But Gabriel didn’t miss a beat.

“What can I getcha, darlin’?”

“Oh, I’ll have a gin and tonic.  Brady was having a Guinness.”  She was taken off guard by his jovial attitude and complete lack of jealousy.

Which she had been banking on.

When he was grabbing the beer and mixing up her drink, he asked, “So, what kind of pitcher were you thinking?”

Sam was watching the exchange with so much confusion, he hadn’t even thought to push Madison off.  What was Gabriel doing?  Was he unconcerned about her?  Or did he not care?

“What do you think?”  Madison turned to look up at Sam, who had to snap himself out of it.

“Doesn‘t matter to me.”

“Well then, I want Blue Moon.”

“Uh, okay.”

“Tell ya what,” Gabriel leaned on the table towards the girl, “Our keg’s almost tapped, so I’ll have the barback go grab a fresh one, then he’ll bring it out to you when it’s ready.  That alright with you two?”

“Sounds great!  Can you have it added to our table’s tab?”

“No problemo, Chica.” He winked at her, then nodded to Sam.

Who was so completely and utterly lost.

Especially when Madison began pulling him back to the table.  His eyes wouldn’t leave Gabriel, even when they hit the crowd, because what the hell?  What was that about?  Treating him like that, as though he’d been just another customer.  Then Gabe easily moved on to the next one.  Leaving Sam baffled.

Even when he hit his seat at the table again and everyone was watching them with their newly mixed drinks, Sam tried to steal his resolve because…yeah.

“He makes a great gin and tonic,” Madison commented as she sipped her fresh beverage, and slid Brady his beer.  “He’s really nice, too.  Nothing like I thought he’d be.”

“Y-yeah,” Sam nodded, and began drinking his drink, slower than last time.

Because Gabriel _genuinely_ acted like he didn’t give a shit.

Madison reached under the table to grab Sam’s hand and squeeze it, leaning into him and saying, “Sam, if you dumped me for him, I really think he knows we are the ones who should be together.”

Her words rubbed him the wrong way and just as he was pulling away, a pitcher of beer was placed on the table, with an extremely familiar voice saying, “Turns out there was more in the tap than I thought.”

Apparently, Madison didn’t feel threatened anymore, because she’d left Sam on the outside of the rounded booth seating.

“And _you_ —“ Gabriel was now poking Sam in the chest with a wide grin and this mischievous look in his eyes.

Then promptly hauled him into a raunchy kiss, that lasted much longer than was publicly decent.

Once Gabe pulled away, he pitched his voice, barely loud enough for the rest of the table to hear (while his hands were still fisted in Sam’s shirt), “You just _couldn’t_ wait for me to get off work tonight, could you?  Had to come visit?”

Madison couldn’t contain her gasp and that’s when Gabriel turned his focus towards her.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t do that in front of your sister, should I?”  He faked a look of apology as he addressed Madison, releasing his hold on Sam and earnestly said, “This is the part where I promise I’ll never break your brother’s heart and—”

“He’s not my _brother_!  He’s—”

“Oh, sorry, he’s your gay BFF then?”  Gabriel ‘guessed,’ which got her even more riled up, and Sam had to stifle his laugh.

“He’s my—!”

Gabe stood there watching her, while carding his fingers through the Sam’s hair as though he’d done it a million times before, and waiting.  “He’s your...what?”

Her face was turning pink from a combination of embarrassment and anger and she turned away from both, and focused on her drink.

“Okaaaay,” he drew out, then placed a quick, yet sweet kiss on Sam’s lips before telling the table, “Drink’s on me tonight!” then whispered to Sam, “ _You’re_ on _me_ tonight.”

A full body shiver raked through Sam as the other alpha pranced off, and the rest of the table was just staring at him.

It was Brady who broke the silence and began laughing hysterically, joined by the beta and the other alpha.  Madison was stewing in a rage, before she looked back at Sam with her eyes narrowed in a furious glare.

“What the fuck was _that_?!”

“What the fuck was _what_?”  He challenged her back.

“That display!  It was disgusting!  If you wanted me to back off...”

“Mads, I told you, we are done.” Sam was calm as he tried to explain it. “Clearly, you’re not taking the hint.  And I can’t control Gabriel.  He’ll do whatever he wants to.  And if he mistook you for my sister?  That alone should tell you how much chemistry we have.  I told you, we’re better as friends, and I told you—”

“Move,” she ordered in a deadly whisper, picking up the entire pitcher as she did so.  “I’m going to find someone who appreciates me the way I deserve.”

He blinked, but gracefully moved out of the way, as she stomped off.

“Good luck,” the beta in the group snickered, “looking for someone to treat you right when you’re drinking booze straight from _that_?  At least get a goddamn straw.”

Sam wiped a hand over his face and laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Well, shit,” Brady exclaimed, as he waved a hand to flag down the nearest waitress, “If he said all drinks are on him tonight?  Let’s get drinking!”  Then directed his next comment to Sam, “I like him.  Seal of approval, right here, right now.”

And so help him, Sam couldn’t stop laughing if he tried.

\-----------------------

Gabriel was keeping an eye on the group all night, and stopped his drinking right after his shot with Sam.  Because after the confrontation with Madison Sam seemed to be...celebrating, maybe?

Like Gabe had saved him.

He had to pretend to ignore the glances Sam would send his way.  And there were _a lot_.  The longing kind, too.  Which had Gabriel feeling pretty damn good about himself.  His message had been read, loud and clear.

Although he had felt a little bad about Madison, he could tell by scenting her, she wasn’t going to feel too badly about it in the morning.  She’d remember the event, but she wasn’t going to be remembering many of the details.  The girl was gone, drunk as hell, and that wasn’t the type of woman who deserved Sam.

Not like he was saying _he_ was the kind of guy who _did_ , but he’d been around the block a little longer than she had.  He could tell this Brady had brought her along to tempt Sam.  Yeah, Gabriel’s mind had been made up.  He was a piece of shit.  He didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him.  And when he made a visit to that table, everyone had reeked of coke.  Except Sam.

Who had the balls to stand up and say no.

Which drew Gabriel in closer.  And he was beginning to put together the pieces of his sobriety.  The whole thing made him respect the alpha more.  If alcohol and cigarettes were his only vices?

He was doing pretty good.

Especially, compared to his brother, who was—

_Fuck_.  

Yep.  Flirting with Madison.  Great.  If that didn’t feel like some kind of down south second-hand incest, he didn’t know what did.  The clock was rounding on two, and that’s when Brady began pulling on his jacket, and pulling _out_ his keys.

And for a split-second, Sam looked like he was going to join him.

_Fuck no_.

Gabriel told his coworker to help him with those cashing out, and he’d be right back.

In no time at all, he was smacking Sam on the ass, which got his attention and, when he turned around, a crooked smile.

“Hey.”

Yep.  He’d watched their tab pile up, and his little (giant) alpha was all kinds of tipsy.

“You’re not backing out on me, are you?”  Gabriel said it in a playful way, hooking a finger through his belt loops and locking their gazes.

“Oh,” Sam looked like it all hit him at once, “I thought you were trying to tell Mads to fuck off.  You were serious?”

Then, his scent turned to excited and a little something _more_ than excited.

Gabe gave the rest of his group the ‘just a sec’ hand motion, when he pulled Sam around the corner to the hall where the bathrooms were.

“Even if I wasn’t serious, why the fuck would you get in a car with someone as blacked out as those muttonheads?”  Gabriel’s whisper wasn’t meant as harsh as it came out, but it did, all the same.  So he had to follow up with, “Yeah, I meant I’d take you home.  But, Jesus, you’re smarter than that.”

Sam’s jaw had dropped, because his brain was firing in all directions.  And he voiced it:

“I’m not sure if I’m pissed at you, offended or happy.  And that makes me really confused.”

“Here, I’ll make the choice for ya.” Gabriel hauled him down to scent him, then sucked on his ear.  “Be happy.  All you gotta do is wait around fifteen minutes, and I’ll be ready.  Think you can handle that?”

Sam tried to chase his lips, but all he got was a smirk in return.  Which brought out the most pitiful, beautiful pair of puppy eyes Gabriel had ever witnessed in his life.

“Holy shit.  Put those away.  Now,” he groaned, as he leaned in again to kiss him right, this time.

Sam’s words ghosted across his lips, when he asked, “What away?”

“Don’t even pretend you don’t know your secret weapon.”  Gabriel smacked him and put some distance between him, because he wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to hold back.  “I’ve gotta close some tabs.  You wanna tell your friends it’d be better to leave the car here and get a cab to _not_ get a DUI and you’ll see ‘em later?  Then you get that sweet ass to the bar ‘til I’m done?”

The other alpha’s focus was still blatantly on his lips as he nodded.  “No DUI’s.  See you at the bar.  Got it.”

With a huff and a roll of his eyes, Gabriel ruffled Sam’s hair and turned on his heels to finish up, and clock out.  He had an adorable drunk puppy to get home.

\--------

Sam was very proud of himself, and chose to use his future lawyer voice to convince his classmates it’d be for the best if they got a cab home.  After all, 2am was the time cops were on the streets, just cruising for drunk drivers, and since Gabe had been awesome about paying for drinks, they had drank more than they usually would have.

Brady seemed to understand, and had no problem springing for a cab since his wallet was still full.

Neither did the others.

And no one had any idea where the hell Madison went.

Apparently, she found someone to ‘treat her right,’ or whatever.

When Sam said Gabriel was taking him home, Brady winked, clapped him on the back and said, “Now aren’t ya glad you got all that work out of the way?  Blessing in disguise, Sammy.”

To which Sam responded, good naturedly, “You can fuck right off,” but told them to be safe.

It was then that he wandered back to the bar, where Gabe was going through paperwork and printing out receipts and handing people back their cards for their autographs and tip money.

So what if Sam was staring, just a little bit.

Gabriel would catch him from time to time, and noticed he was slowly, but surely leaning off the bar stool and about to hit the floor.  Which was the first bit of attention he gave him, since he was rushing through the tabs to take Sam home.

He had to duck around the bar to keep the alpha upright and groaned, “Jesus, how much did you drink?”

“Much.”  Was Sam’s very serious answer.

Gabriel gave him a once over, before fondly rolling his eyes and filling him up a glass of water.

When he slid it across to him, he ordered, “We’re not leaving until you drink all of this.”

As soon as the alpha moved back to finishing up his job, Sam eyed the glass with a fierce determination.  He wrapped his hand around the cool cup and treated it as a shot, even though some ice sloshed back and smacked him in the nose.  That made him realize he wasn’t going to be able to chug it in one go, so he set it back down, glaring at it, and took another deep breath, before going for round two.

Which proved to be much more successful.

Now that the lights were on and he turned to see the last of the patrons trickling (or stumbling) out, his excitement grew, knowing it was just a matter of time until Gabriel would be able to go home with him.  He wasn’t sure if it was his demolished inhibitions, or his obvious attraction to the man, but butterflies were having a goddamn rave in his stomach.  It was times like this, that he wished he, himself, was on blockers.  Or Gabriel wasn’t.  So he wasn’t as obvious, or had some confirmation he wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

When he turned around, it was to a full glass of water, and he frowned.

That didn’t make sense…

He could have _sworn_ …

Sam looked up to find Gabriel, but he was halfway across the bar, still immersed in wrapping up all the loose ends—which was down to about five people—and Sam now had a full glass of water to finish.

His drunken mind must have been playing tricks on him and he grabbed the cup again, chugging as much as he could.  This time, he didn’t let it out of his hands.  Because there must have been someone playing games with his mind; or at the very least, some kind of magic involved…

This time around, when he felt himself begin to tip off his chair, he was able to right himself, and didn’t spill any of the water; then he officially finished it.

Gabriel returned in front of him and made of a show of filling it halfway, ordering, “I’m going to the back to grab my things and we’ll take off.  Deal?”

“Deal.”  Sam returned eagerly.

“You know what to do with that?”  He jeered his thumb to the cup.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Oo,” he leaned into Sam’s bubble and whispered, “I like it when you call me that.”  Then finished up with, “Be right back.”

Once again, Sam’s eyed the glass and couldn’t decide if it was his ally or foe.  But he did what the alpha asked, one last time.

\-----------------

Gabriel took in a deep breath and congratulated himself on getting two and a half cups of water into Sam, who’d seemed completely oblivious when he’d sneakily refilled his glass.  A man that tall?  For how much he’d drank to get that intoxicated?  Hopefully, that was the first steps of helping.  After he pulled on his jacket, his co-worker told him she’d lock up and casually asked who the tall, dark and handsome man still here was.

Gabriel had come up with some lewd comment, which left said co-worker speechless, and led to an easy escape.

And damn, did the way Sam’s eyes light up when he saw him, along with the way he proudly showed off the finished water, do things of Gabe.  Still, he couldn’t let anything but a smile break through his exterior, so he rolled his eyes.

“You can walk, right?”

“Yep.”

“Okay, good.  Follow me.”

He was parked out back, so they had a sidewalk and an alleyway before they reached Gabriel’s car.  Luckily, there was (barely) enough legroom for Sam in the front seat when he tumbled in, and Gabriel couldn’t help but laugh.

“What?”  Sam asked, indignantly.

“You’re cute.”  Gabe shrugged his shoulders as he started the engine and began driving to Sam’s place by memory.

Sure, while the last time they’d gotten a cab there, they were both drunk, but one thing Gabriel never shared with anyone was just how sharp his mind was.  He liked to play dumb, he kept his cards close to his chest; and when it came to his surroundings, all it took was one time to hear a piece of information, remember an address or name, or, in this case, a route.  He soaked it up like a sponge, because of his past.  Or, his sharp mind happened to lead him to how he’d ended up with his past, in the first place.

Sam, on some level, may have been a little confused as to why no directions were needed, but that’s not what he was focused on.  He was too busy glancing around, and most of those glances landed on Gabriel.

“When I went up to the bar that first time…” was the first thing he said.  “Then Madison grabbed me...I was nervous.  Maybe even a little scared.”

Gabriel’s attention flickered to Sam when he asked, “Huh?  Why?”

“I dunno.  You acted like you didn’t care.  About me.  Or if Madison and me were back together.”  He shrugged like it didn’t bother him, but his scent said everything his words hadn‘t.

“Well, you saw what I followed up with,” he laughed, and then had to ask, “Was that too much?  I’m a go big or go home kinda guy.”

“No, it was perfect.”

“Good.”  He had to reach over and ruffle Sam’s hair from where he was basically melting in the seat.  “So, there’s this cute alpha, and I kind of like him.  And I don’t like it when other people touch him _because_ I care.”

Sam unconsciously leaned into the touch and ended up wrangling Gabriel’s hand from his hair into his own.  They stayed that way until they pulled up in front of the apartment.  When Gabriel turned the car off, and looked over to meet Sam’s eyes, he asked, “You gonna need help getting in?”

“I recall a promise of me being on you tonight.”

“Oo, even drunk he’s gotta _fantastic_ memory, ladies and gentlemen.”

They both exited the car, and it seemed the water had helped Sam because he was able to pull out his keys while walking up the stairs.  When he unlocked the door and they both moved inside, Gabriel chewed on his lip, because he sure as hell didn’t feel right about this.

Naturally.  It was all right if they were both drunk.

But this was creep status and he didn’t want to take advantage of Sam.  And that’s exactly what it felt like.

So when Sam locked the door, and made a move to reach out to him and grab him, Gabriel pulled away.  And, fuck, there were those puppy eyes again.  Along with a goddamn pout.  He didn’t know what to do.  He was trying to think of the best ways to save him from himself and not piss Sam off in the process.  And he did have _one_ idea.

He reached out and grabbed the other alpha’s hand, and dragged him to where he knew the bathroom was.

Sam raised an eyebrow, but followed and eyed him when Gabriel turned on the shower.

“You smell like strip club,” he explained as the water warmed up and pressed a kiss to Sam’s lips.  “Doubt you want your sheets smelling like that.  In the morning, you‘ll be surrounded by sweat, horny alpha and chlamydia.”

He actually laughed and nodded his head, “That’s a good idea, to be honest.”

“I have those from time to time.”

Of fucking course Gabriel wanted to hook up; but like he said, he didn’t want to take advantage.  He found this totally acceptable, some kind of happy medium.  As he slowly undressed Sam, he could still kiss him.  He could still brush his hands along his skin, but it was PG.  All right, once the pants came off, and he could see Sam was hard as a rock, it wasn’t quite as PG anymore, but at that point he could shove him into the shower.  Get rid of the distraction.

But now, the question was whether he could keep his hands to himself if he joined him.

“Gabe—” there was an order in his tone, one that had Gabriel’s toes curling.

“Okay, kid.”  He said through the curtain.  “I’m gonna spell it out, you listening?”

There was a little bit of a hesitation, before Sam finally said, “Yeah?”

“You’re drunk.  I’m sober.  Ain’t no way I’m down with date rape.  Even though we’ve been together before I still feel weird about it.  You catch my drift?”  The words were hard to say, especially because Gabriel had never seen the other alpha completely naked under bright lights.

Now that he had, it was better than his grappling hands and drunken imagination could have hoped for.

Fuck, his mouth went dry by the flex of his muscles beneath his bare skin, alone.

“Yeah…” Sam’s voice was deflated.  “Does that mean…you’re leaving?

Gabriel didn’t miss the note of sadness in that question.  And he hated it.  He absolutely, one hundred and fifty percent, hated it.

“If we can behave, I’ll stay.”  The words were rushed. “But only then.”

“Yeah.”

‘Yeah’ seemed to be the only word Sam was capable of saying, which Gabriel found adorable.  Who knew if it was because he was tipsy or nervous, it was still damn cute.

“Okay.” He began peeling his clothes off. “You gotta promise, or else my bitch of a conscience is gonna make me head for the hills and you can’t blame _me_ this time.”

“I won’t, I get it,” his voice was light and understanding, it sounded like he did get it.

Which was surprising.

The second Gabriel stepped in the shower, was the second he absolutely hated himself for his ultimatum.  Shit.  Sam looked gorgeous, the water dripping down his chiseled body, paired with his smile that Gabriel had actually decided to join him and his scent was on par with a happy puppy.  So much that Gabe had to laugh and shake his head.

Sam was the one who switched them places, ordering, “You smell like a strip club more than me,” and reached for a bar of soap.

Then he looked at it like it was the enemy, and asked, “Is this alright?”

“Is what all right?”  Gabriel was confused, as he snatched up the shampoo to get the stench of bar out of his hair.  “If it’s you dropping it, it’s most definitely not alright.  Foul temptress.”

“No,” he chewed on his lip, before taking a hesitant step forward and grabbing a washcloth, to suds it up.  “Not that.”

Then, the second they traded spots again, Sam leaned in and pressed the cloth to the skin of Gabriel’s shoulder.

Which caused his eyes to widen, because in a way, it was kind of an... _intimate_ gesture, due to the fact that mated pairs always bathed together and washed each other.  Maybe Sam was just an extremely affectionate drunk and Gabriel had always been too intoxicated to notice or appreciate it.  Or maybe it was because he’d laid down the law and Sam wanted _something_ , but didn’t want to press his boundaries.

Gabe’s brain was backfiring in all directions, so all he could do was nod.  Which made the other alpha smile, as he went to work scrubbing the day’s sweat and filth from Gabriel’s body.  And he had to admit; it felt nice as hell.  He had to suppress a moan when Sam, the sneaky little fuck, made sure he didn’t miss a spot and jerked Gabriel’s cock a few times.

Which sure as hell hasn’t been at half-mast ever since the second he’d caught a glimpse of Sam when he walked in the shower.

He could scent the younger man’s amusement and he yanked the wash cloth away from him, with an annoyed, “Give me that!” before rinsing it, and lathering it back up with soap to return the favor.

So what, if he had to reach a little to get all of Sam’s body.  But he carefully avoided all of, what did he call it?  The ‘date rape’ spots.  One, because he had to stay true to his word, and two, for revenge on the fucker.

Sure, it was intimate, but it wasn’t particularly sexual, which had made things take a strange turn Gabriel hadn’t been prepared for.  And sexual was where Gabe had put his foot down on.

But he couldn’t figure it out.

Was this Sam pressing the boundaries?  Or was this something he actually, honestly _wanted_?  In his drunk little brain, did he crave this kind of intimacy with Gabriel?

So, with Sam’s eyes closed, he decided to push a little boundary of his own.

He scrubbed his way slowly up Sam’s chest, and over his shoulder.  Then, he looped it around the nape column of his neck backwards and slowly, inch by inch, pulled him closer.  Close enough, to where their lips brushed.  Sam went easily, but he didn’t dive in like he usually would because he was listening to Gabriel.  He was minding his order, because he didn’t want him to leave.

He was _submitting_.  Which was another confusing thing.

Because he wanted him to stay so badly.  Right here.

Kissing him tenderly, as the shower water beat against their bodies.

Gabriel couldn’t help the movement of his other arm, reaching up and joining the first.  It was a strange dance, to keep things chaste; to allow their chests to barely brush, but keeping it firmly here.  Not going any further than this.

Gabriel couldn’t help but move to mouth at Sam’s jaw line and ask, “You wash your hair yet?”

To which he received an affirmative ‘hmm,’ and Gabriel maneuvered him under the spray to rinse the soap from his body.  He pressed one more kiss to his lips, after making sure he was squeaky-clean and then turned off the faucet.

Obviously, since the kid lived alone, there was only one towel, which he snagged from the towel rod and dried him off.  He kicked him out of the shower, and patted down the best he could, before being lead to Sam’s bedroom.

“Okay,” Gabriel kept the towel wrapped around his own waist as Sam all but collapsed to the mattress.

“Whattya usually wear to bed?”  He called over his shoulder.

“You’re not staying?”  Sam asked, as he heard the other alpha picking through his drawers.

The younger alpha was answered when a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and hit him in the head.  And then, Gabriel disappeared.  Sam probably had no idea what that meant, but he pulled on the pants, just to follow him.  It was somewhat of a struggle, since his first attempt, he put them on backwards, and by the time he righted himself and stood up Gabriel was already back in the room.

Fully clothed.

With a glass of water and two pills.

He set them on the nightstand and slowly pushed Sam back to bed.

“Oh, stop it.”  He groaned, as he pulled by the sheets for him.

“Stop what?”  Sam asked in confusion.

“Your brooding.  Stop it, pronto.”

Who knows how Gabriel managed to do it.  Sam would later remember it was part of the true alpha strength and agility thing.  Because now he was completely tucked in, with Gabriel sitting on the edge of the bed, pointing to the things he sat on the nightstand.

“Think I got enough water in you tonight, but make sure you drink that and take those in the morning.”

“Why are you leaving?”

“You need your beauty sleep.” Gabriel leaned in and kissed him once on the forehead and once, lingering much longer, on the lips.  “Don’t forget, you’ve got a hot date tomorrow.”

The other alpha hummed, his eyes only opening when he felt Gabriel’s weight disappear from the mattress.

He winked, as he stood up and finished with, “Sweet dreams, my little drunk moose.”

Sam would have given him the middle finger, if he wasn’t so relaxed and sleepy.  He was content, even though he was sad to see Gabriel go.  

He did manage a, “Thanks,” before the other alpha had left the room.

“No problem.”

Then he was gone.

While Sam was drifting off to sleep, he could have sworn maybe, just maybe, he caught a scent of Gabriel.  Like, real Gabriel, without all of the blockers, after the shower…and he wanted more of it.

\------------

Gabriel took a deep breath when he got into the car, but didn’t drive away immediately.  He needed to get his head on straight.  There was nothing more that he wanted than to stay the night with him.  But would Sam have really wanted him there in the morning?

How much of it would he have remembered?

It was better to play it safe.

He’d see him tomorrow.

Shit.  He was falling fast, and this wasn’t good.  He’d never fallen—

No.  He couldn’t think about it this hard, right now.

But, there was one thing he was wondering, one thing he was worried about.  Something that had to do with his brother.

_Gabriel 3:01am_  
_Plz tell me u didn’t take Madison home_

_Cas 3:03am_  
_As lovelya girl Madison wasmeg would likely murder mesince shes stikl in heat_

_Gabriel 3:03am_  
_u went out when she was in heat???_

_Cas 3:05am_  
_she siad I deserved I brake but im back with her now_

_Cas 3:06am_  
_hows ur man who shunned madison4u she was quite upset n very despereat_

_Gabriel 3:08am_  
_I tucked him in for the night, gotta date night tmr_

_Cas 3:10am_  
_how chivalrous never thought id c the day_

_Cas 3:10am_  
_its cute adorable even_

_Gabriel 3:12am_  
_Fuck off_

_Cas 3:13am_  
_wish I didnt nrly get into barfight w him id would like 2 meet him_

_Gabriel 3:15am_  
_another reason im very glad that day will never come_

_Gabriel 3:16am_  
_have fun being a sex toy hooker_

_Cas 3:17am_  
_oh iam_


	6. Chapter Five

While Sam couldn’t call it a fitful night of sleeping, it would better have been been described as an _intensive_ night sleep.  Normally, when he tossed and turned, it was from nightmares.  Nightmares of withdrawal, nightmares of Ruby screaming as she cornered him when Dean wasn’t around, getting into huge fights about him being a coward, of him choosing his brother over her.  Demanding to know if he loved her at all, to begin with.

Nightmares of falling back into addiction, nightmares of getting so caught up, overdosing and dying.

But…these dreams were far from it.

These dreams were of Gabriel.

And like Sam said—they were intense.

It had been a long time since he’d had anything remotely close to a wet dream, but this was the kind to trump all of them, and _then_ some.

In the morning, he would realize that Gabriel hadn’t stayed.

But, in middle of a heavy REM cycle, his mind had no idea he’d even left.

It was like they’d both gotten out of the shower and dried off enough to fall into bed together.

Everything was a tangle of limbs, hot kisses, and a fight for dominance.  The lingering dampness left from the shower quickly transformed into sweat as their naked bodies pushed and pulled, heated and fevered.  Sam’s imagination ran wild and exploded with the thought of being able to scent Gabriel as a true alpha and everything became that much more frenzied.

He was able to give up control, not only because he wanted to, but because it was being taken away from him.  It fueled this fire, this ridiculous, arousing fantasy he never thought he’d experience, let alone crave so desperately.  The concept of _being controlled_.

Even though they’d only been together twice, he could feel the touch of the other alpha’s hands.  The way he roughly held him down, in contrast to the way he’d kiss him slowly.

The way he’d spread his legs and take what he wanted, leaving marks littered across Sam’s flesh, but tenderly caress them afterwards.

He’d dreamed of Gabriel before, but nothing had been this vivid, nothing had come close to this.

Sam could feel himself reach out to brush their lips together, while Gabriel’s cock slid inside his body.  He felt it, so deep, the motion of Gabriel fucking him desperately, while his tongue teased against Sam’s

There weren’t words to describe it, within the haze of his dream, the only thing he knew was that he wanted more—he _needed_ more—and he was wrapping his legs around Gabriel and begging him to give it to him.

And the other alpha did.

The bed was slamming into the wall, rocking with the intensity and the snap of Gabe’s hips, slamming deeper into him with every thrust.

Sam knew he was still pleading, breathlessly, but now?  He was begging Gabriel to _knot him_.

Something he never gave a passing thought to, but in this moment it was all he could think about...   Sam _wanted_ their bodies to be locked together, _wanted_ to be filled and stretched with Gabriel’s cum and—

That’s when Sam jerked awake, completely covered in sweat, and _fuck_ —

Covered in his own cum.

He sat up in bed, running his hands through his hair, needing to brushing it back from where it was matted against his sweating brow.  His breaths were still coming out in heaves and he looked down at the goddamn knot he’d popped like it had betrayed him.

“Shit,” he cursed under his breath and threw back the covers.

The last time this had happened to him was when he was in fucking high school.

He looked at the clock to see it was nearly 6 a.m. and shook his head as he moved to the bathroom to get cleaned up.  He refused to turn on any lights, because he needed to get back to sleep after this, or else he was going to risk the headache and hangover setting in much sooner than usual.

Blindly, he reached out and felt for the towel he hoped was on the rack and found it.  It was still damp from their shower together, and Sam couldn’t help but smile a little at the thought.  It also helped with wiping down his chest and thighs where gravity had taken hold and the cum began dripping downward.

Once he felt clean again, he sighed heavily and stood in the dark room thinking.

About the dream.

But, again, if he thought too hard and analyzed it, he was going to be up for good, and there was no reason to run on three hours of sleep.  He just...needed to let it be.  For now.

So, he groggily stumbled his way back to his bed and eyed the pills and water on the nightstand before deciding he may as well get a head start.  He tossed them back and drained more than half the glass, before feeling where his sheets were wet.  Thank God, he’d been favoring one side of his bed so he didn’t have to change them.  Or lay in the damp spots, because all he wanted was sleep, jizz be damned.

He heaved a sigh, tried to put the subliminal thoughts out of his mind and crawled back under where the sheets were clean.  When he closed his eyes, certain images wouldn’t leave the backs of his eyelids and he couldn’t stop them.  

He knew he’d keep thinking about Gabriel.

So instead, he tried to make a deal with himself and replay the night they’d had.  Hopefully, that would be enough of a distraction to allow him to fall back into a slumber.  He was almost sure he remembered most of it.  The good, the bad and the embarrassing.  Recalling those, and all the high points, was what eventually lulled him to sleep, and for that he was thankful.

\----------------

He couldn’t remember sleeping in this long in…well, forever.  Sam was glad he got in the extra hours, because he obviously needed it.

The next glance at the time told him it was 11:00.

He hadn’t woken up to that number since he was a kid.  Plus, he was pretty damn sure he’d slept straight through his hangover.  Of course, he felt a little lethargic and knew he wasn’t jumping out of bed to go for a jog anytime soon; he instead opted to reach out to grab his phone.

Which Gabriel had gone the extra mile and plugged it into the charger on his nightstand.  Jesus, he really _had_ taken care of him.

Sam finished the glass of water, swallowing down the dry mouth with the liquid, before he turned his attention to the screen.

There was a drunk text from Brady, hoping he got laid, and then four texts from Gabriel—all from this morning.

Four?

When he scrolled through, he assumed the worst.

Had he been that much of an embarrassment?  Was the alpha done with him?  Was he too much work?  A drunk hot mess?   _Shit_.

The first one was sent around nine and read:

_how bads the hangover?_

Followed by:

_wanna keep it chill tonight? Pizza and a movie my place?_

The idea of Gabriel actually inviting Sam over made him happy in a way he couldn’t describe.  So far, the other alpha had been living in some kind of shadow of mystery and intrigue.  But, piece by piece, Sam was finding out more.  He was finally getting to know him, the real him, and Gabriel was playing host at _his_ _home_ tonight?  No matter how mundane it may have been to someone else, it was a huge step to Sam.  He couldn’t stop grinning, but then read the next one, that had been sent after ten o’clock:

_don’t be dead_

And the last one, sent a few minutes ago:

_im gonna be pissed if you drowned in ur own vomit last night you drunkard_

Sam’s fingers moved nimbly across the touch screen as he answered as quickly as he could:

_Sorry just woke up and I think a night in sounds great_

Almost immediately, he received a response:

_thank god I know 2 many ppl who escape death on a nightly basis_

With a snort, Sam answered:

_You need better people in your life.  When do you want me to come over?_

_around 8?  Im thinking cheesy horror movie u in?_

_Yep.  Text me your address whenever_

\-------------

It wasn’t until much later in the day, when Sam was beginning to feel normal and on top of his game, that he remembered the night before.  More specifically, the subject matter his mind wandered to while he was asleep.  It happened when he was doing laundry, and reminded himself this time he had to include his sheets.  When he was tearing them off the mattress, he paused mid-tug when the dream from the night before came back and smacked him upside the head.

Then, he had to sit down for a second and take a deep breath.

The night before, he refused to analyze, to delve into any ‘deeper meaning’ because he was half asleep and didn’t want to wake up.  But now that he was up and around, nearly finished cleaning up his apartment, done looking at notes and the clock was rounding on five; he wasn’t sure what the hell to do.  What it meant.  If it was a subconscious dream, if it was one of those crazy ‘I was in this pool with an alligator wearing a party hat playing poker’ dreams which were random as hell or…something more.  Shit.

Obviously, this was new territory.

Maybe he wanted to put it off a little while longer.

It wasn’t like Gabriel was going to push for anything.

Hell, last night _Sam_ was rearing to go and even though they’d hooked up before, Gabriel put the brakes on that because only one of them was drunk.  Who does that?  He’d never imagine that kind of ‘chivalry’ out of any hot-blooded male.  Let alone an _alpha_.  Let alone _Gabriel_.

In a way, it put things into perspective.

Maybe Gabriel felt he crossed a line, drinking with a minor when he left the first note that had pissed Sam off beyond belief.

Maybe that’s why after their first date all he got was a kiss.

Maybe Gabriel honestly was a genuine, fucking awesome…gentleman?

Despite how brash, crude, loud and blatantly sexual he was, underneath all that there was much more to him.  And while Sam was deep in thought, realizing all these things, it still didn’t explain his dream.  The only thing he could come up with was maybe he, himself, was a kinky knothead.  Or, on the other end of the spectrum, he trusted Gabriel.

Shit, this was so messed up.

Everything was filled with contradictions.

There were so many angles, too many questions and for some reason, now that Sam thought about it…he was nervous for their date night.

Which was fucking ridiculous.

He was an alpha, goddammit.

Nothing should make him nervous.

He was supposed to feel in control, he was supposed to be the one who had unwavering confidence, the one to get the job done and handle things.

Maybe, just maybe, that’s why he was drawn to Gabriel so much.  He didn’t mind giving him control.  In a bizarre, crazy way, it felt like a relief to have that weight taken off his shoulders.

Because if there was one thing he knew about the other alpha?

He took charge of every situation.  Even if you thought you had a modicum of control, it was only because he _wanted_ you to think that.  Gabriel was always one step ahead, and it made things interesting.

And alluring.

And kind of sexy.

“Fuck,” Sam grunted as he stood up again, and finally ripped the rest of the bedding away.

He jumped when his phone vibrated against the wood of the nightstand, because of course, that’s how things happened.  The moment you let your guard down, something jumps up and scares the shit out of you.  With his arms loaded up with sheets, he glanced at the screen to see an address, and had to shake all his internal monologue from his head.

There’s only three hours for him to get his shit together.

\------------------

So what, if Gabriel had vetted the fuck out of Sam Winchester through old and new resources?  He really liked the kid and he needed to know, without a doubt in his mind, that he wasn’t the enemy.  And, all right, maybe he had been a little optimistic in his vetting, but he was nearly 100% sure there was nothing shady about Sam’s past.

Minus a semester he took off freshman year of college.

When he got his eyes on the files, it had been due to some kind of ‘family emergency,’ and he felt it wasn’t right to dig too deeply.  After all, Gabriel knew about family.  He wanted to keep Sam away from his, so who was he to think he had the right to do the same to the other alpha?

Maybe he was taking a leap of faith.

Giving Sam his address and asking him to come over.

Somehow, he didn’t give a shit.  For once, he was throwing caution to the wind and letting it happen.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, and even though his brother had terrible choices in women and friends, Cas was good at reading people.  He’d scoped Sam out for himself, knew enough of the story and told Gabriel he was overreacting.

In the past, Cas had even admitted when someone seemed shady—high or not.

There were nothing but green lights when it came to Sam, and Gabriel wondered if this was all too good to be true?

Whatever.

He’d already sent him the address.

The pizza was ordered and on its way.

There was nothing he could do now.

Unless, of course, something came up and the _other_ alpha never showed.

But, about five minutes before eight, he saw the flash of headlights parking alongside of the building that lead up to his place.

He had no doubt who it was.

If there was one thing he already knew about Sam, it was the fact he was _overly_ organized, insanely put-together and, more than likely, OCD about being on time.  Which was confirmed when there was a knock on his door.

So he hopped up to answer it and was greeted with a wave and a smile.

“Hey, good work!  Ya beat the pizza guy.” Gabriel ushered him inside, and pointed, “You can hang your coat up right there.”

“You already ordered?”  Sam raised an eyebrow, taking off his shoes and pulling off his jacket.

“Already told me you eat like a rabbit.  And since you agreed to pizza, I got you one a rodent would love,” he explained with a wink.

He snorted and began laughing, “You know, you have to pick one.  Rodents and moose are _very_ different animals.”

“Yeah, but does it look like I care?  C’mon, lemme give you the grand tour of my humble apartment.”  He nonchalantly took Sam’s hand as he did so, walking down the hallway. “Living room, obvi, turn the corner, kitchen slash dining room.  Down the hall we gotta bathroom,” he proceeded to tug him, “guest room.  Then my room, where all the magic happens.” He wiggled his eyebrows with a grand gesture.  “The end.”

“That’s the quickest tour I’ve been on,” Sam stated thoughtfully, as he took an unassuming glance into Gabriel’s room.

“You callin’ my apartment small?”

“I’m calling _you_ fast.”

“So, _easy_ ,” he teased, as he looped his arm around Sam’s middle and lead them back to the living room.  “I gotcha.”

“Shut up.  You know what I meant.”  Then, Sam couldn’t help but wonder aloud, “Did you have a roommate who left?  Or just wanted the space?”

“I know a lot of couch surfers.”  Gabriel shrugged, clucking his tongue, “Better to give ‘em a room, yeah?”

“You know all that does is make me curious about all these people who wake up in their own vomit and couch surf, you—”

Gabriel was literally saved by the doorbell.

“Pizza’s here!”

Although Sam was cut off, his stomach was growling and he knew a dismissal when he saw one.  Still, he was going to save this in his memory bank as a thing to bring up later.  Or see if these things were so common, he’d eventually experience them firsthand.

All thoughts disappeared when the scent of delicious food filled the apartment and Gabriel turned back from the door with three boxes.  He could already smell two different kinds of pizza, along with a side of breadsticks, and he was all about it.

“Down, boy,”  Gabriel admonished in a half-assed way, before inquiring, “Shall we forgo plates, and just dive into our movie, you savage?”

“That sounds like a great idea.”  He wasn’t apologetic, not one bit.  “So what do we have to watch?”

“Oh-ho, you’re gonna be very impressed with my tacky movie selection, let me tell you,” he stated with a foreboding tone, as he set the boxes down on the coffee table. “Let me run and grab ‘em.  Don’t demolish all that food while I’m gone, ya friggin’ giant.”

Sam had to admit, he was tempted to open one of the boxes and snag a piece while Gabe momentarily disappeared, because it smelled fucking amazing.

But then, something else popped into his brain.

_This_ was the first thing he’d really, honestly scented in Gabriel’s apartment.

Sure, there was the lingering scent of detergent from clothing.  Dish soap from the washer.  But no Gabriel.  When he was in other people’s residences, there was always the scent of ‘them.’  The notes and fragrances that made up _who they were_ lingered in their space.

Here?

There wasn’t a trace of anything.

No alpha scents.

It was as empty as the blockers left him.

And Sam couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

He shouldn’t.  Gabriel had all his reasons for wearing the blockers.  He’d told Sam as much.  Maybe Sam was hoping for _too_ much?  It hadn’t even been an optimistic thought, on the ride here, that he may catch a whiff of Gabriel’s true scent.  But now that it hit him, a tingle of disappointment reared its head.

The only thing that snapped him out of it was the alpha’s jovial voice announcing, “Here’s a stack!  You tell me what you’re thinking,” as he slapped down a little tower of DVD cases in front of him.

If he noticed anything in Sam’s scent, he pretended not to.

Instead, he asked, “Whatcha wanna drink, Sasquatch?”

“Water will be good.”  Sam didn’t have to try to flash a smile; it was easy when Gabriel was in front of him, in spite of his previous inner monologue.

“Water it is!”  He clapped his hands together, and headed into the kitchen.  “Then you tell me what movie's first.”

The alpha leaned forward and examined the titles with a frown. “The hell, I’ve never heard of _any_ of these…!”

“That’s the beauty of it!”  Gabriel’s voice could be heard from the kitchen.  “Read the summaries.  And quick.  ‘Cause I’m hungry as fuck.”

With a heavy roll of his eyes and a snort, Sam picked out three names that caught his attention and tried to glance through what terrible flicks he’d been presented with.  And, after the first two summaries, realized they were, indeed, terrible.  But he knew that was exactly what Gabriel’s plan was, and half the fun of it, so why not?  He was game.

\-----------------------

“This is so goddamn ridiculous,” Sam groused from where he was sprawled across the couch and draped across Gabriel’s lap.

“You said that about the first two, and yet,” the other alpha patted Sam’s cheek, “you continue to watch.”

The bitchface Sam meant to send up at Gabriel started out as a bitchface, but when he was confronted with a cocky smile, it simmered into a roll of the eyes and readjusting the pillow on the other alpha’s lap.  He tried to pretend he didn’t hear Gabriel chuckle, as the hand resumed playing with his hair.  Which Sam had to admit, felt really nice.

He never let _anyone_ touch his hair.  In fact, he was usually annoyed by it.  When someone touched his hair it’d usually be his brother teasing him, some chick trying to seduce him, or worse, some drunken idiot telling him he was ‘pretty.’

But with Gabriel it was relaxing.

He never thought he’d like it.  In fact, he’d almost locked up the second the other alpha began running his fingers through it.  He was worried this may be an awkward moment, but instead he melted into the touch.

Sam was really fucking happy he had.

Now, he felt like a friggin’ pup getting his ear scratched in just the right away.  But instead of the kicking leg, he was nestling into the sensation.  But, not literally.  Because that would be embarrassing.

No matter how stupid the movie was he was full of the best pizza he’d ever eaten (apparently Gabriel knew all the ‘best local joints’), relaxed, and content as hell with his current position.  Not to mention, the couch actually accommodated his height, which was a phenomenon in and of itself.  He never wanted to move.  He knew he was giving off ‘content alpha’ scents left and right, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Jesus, half of this movie is a slasher flick and half is a porno, where do you find these?!”  Sam demanded, his arm waving at the TV, clearly affronted.

“I have _impeccable_ taste, I know.”  Gabriel’s voice was full of confidence, especially when he added, “We should make a sex tape.”

Which completely threw Sam off his game.

“What?!”

“You heard me.  A sex tape.”  He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  “It’d be fun.”

With an incredulous expression, Sam looked back up to see Gabriel watching him with a shit-eating grin.

“You’re so easy to tease.”

“You’re a dick.”

Gabriel used the grip he had on Sam’s hair, as well as his free hand to haul him up and kiss him for the first time tonight.  It was the soft, yearning, take-your-breath away kind of kiss.  And then Gabriel set Sam right back down again.  Like nothing happened.

“You’re gonna miss one of the best parts!”  He pointed at the TV and shook the young alpha out of his stupor.

It was then that Sam knew he was never going to win against this man.  The fuckin’ deck was stacked and he always had a damn ace up his sleeve.  Damn him.

\-------------

Towards the climax of the movie, Gabriel commented, “I think you’re pouting.”

“I‘m totally not pouting,”  Sam said in a challenging tone, even though he might be.  A little.

“Tell me your issues, Moose.”

“Notta one,” he answered almost too quickly, because he was trying to scheme and speak at the same time.

Which, apparently, wasn’t one of his strong suits.

Especially when Gabriel laughed out loud—which was as good as calling him out.

He returned the laugh with ‘readjusting’ himself on Gabriel’s lap while asking casually, “Got another movie lined up after this?” knowing he was shifting right over the other man’s cock.

It took a second before he answered the question. “Depends.  Are you gonna hate on it, like every other movie we’ve watched?”  And for the first time, his hand wandered from where it was laced through his hair, to _barely_ graze along the sensitive expanse of Sam’s neck.

“I can behave.”  He tried to keep his voice from wavering because Gabriel’s feather-soft touch against his throat was doing things to him.

He also wasn’t sure if ‘behaving’ was directed to Gabriel or to himself.

“We’ll see about that.”

Sam knew he was in trouble because of the slight deepening of the alpha’s voice.  He knew he was in just about the worst position he could be in—open to Gabriel’s attacks without a single way to retaliate.

Gabriel knew damn well, too.

“Tsk, pay attention, Sammy.  Prove you can ‘behave.’”  He whispered to get his attention, but his fingers began wandering further from Sam’s neck, brush along his collarbone.

Then, they’d sweep up again.

“I am paying attention,” Sam huffed back.

Sure, he was paying attention.  But it wasn’t to the movie.  It was the sensation, the sweep of Gabriel’s soft touches that continued to move just a bit further with every stroke.  Until they were grazing across Sam’s side, causing him to shiver.  Which the other alpha paid no mind, laughing at the punch lines the movie delivered, caught up in this piece of shit film while Sam was putty in his hands.

It was time to turn the tables.

“Our sex tape would be way better than this.”

That halted Gabe’s movements.

For a split-second, at least.

“Oh yeah?”  His voice was interested as he followed the angle of Sam’s jaw line and asked, “Do we have a release date in mind?”

“After rehearsals start, we can nail that information down.”

Sam just barely managed to nip Gabriel’s thumb as it brushed across his lips, and tugged gently with his teeth before letting it go.  He could feel eyes on him, the movie completely forgotten, and he knew he’d _finally_ won that leg up he needed.

So, he rolled onto his back and met Gabriel’s gaze with a dare.  “I thought this was the good part?”

The way the alpha above was looking at him could only be described as predatory.

Sam stretched out lazily and rolled his shoulders down against Gabriel lap, watching him with curious eyes.  How far could he push him?  Was this going to be another date that ended with a kiss?  He couldn’t exactly kick Sam out, could he?  Sure, he’d been throwing innuendos at him all night, but that was normal.  It would be strange if he wasn’t.  But where would it go from here?

“Are you trying to seduce me?”  Gabriel finally asked, tilting his head to the side, while quirking a grin.

“I don’t know.  Is it working?”  The question was enunciated slowly, because the other alpha was watching every move of his mouth.

The next thing Sam knew, he was nearly face-planting on the ground, he would have, if not for the fact that Gabriel had caught him.  His mind was busy filling in the blanks—Gabe must have stood up, which had caused Sam to tumble, which the other alpha had _prepared_ for and caught him before he ended up with a bloody nose.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t roughed up with his back (and shirt riding up) against the carpet, Gabriel looming over him and mouthing against the hinge of his jaw, “You’re such a little shit.”

Sam had no idea why it happened, but he began laughing and he couldn’t stop.  Until Gabriel made him stop.  Which comprised of rutting their hips together and leaving Sam breathless and reduced to more instinctual and basic noises.

The whisper in his ear of, “You staying or going?” snapped him out of the moment.

“Thought it was obvious.”  Sam chased after the voice.

Finally, fucking _finally_ , lips were so close to brushing against his, when Gabriel asked, “Not obvious unless you tell me, you cock tease.”

This showed the younger alpha just how big Gabriel really was when it came to consent— which was awesome and admirable—yet...

Sam had had enough.

He grabbed Gabriel’s face with both hands and yanked him in to kiss that stupid smirk off his face.  To show him with his mouth, to wrap his limbs around his body, and then finally break away and growl, “I’m staying.  No more shitty movies.  We’re going to your bedroom, now.”

Gabriel’s eyes were darkened by lust as he watched Sam’s every move and only had one thing to say. “Fuck, that’s hot when you go all alpha on me.”

“Gabriel, I swear to God—”

He was cut off by a filthy kiss he could find himself drowning in, and then a hand easily yanked him off the floor, and down the hallway.  The lights were off, and he was being navigated by only Gabriel’s iron grip on his wrist, but he could scent the arousal finally tinting the air.  He knew the second they were through the doorway, and had arrived at the place Gabriel dubbed ‘where the magic happens.’

Even though everything was progressing at a breakneck speed, both alphas ridiculously hard within the confines of their jeans, there was something that Sam found entertaining.

It wasn’t the fact that Gabriel had dropped to his knees to unbutton, unzip his pants, and yank everything else down with him.  Nor the hungry stare that took Sam’s breath away, made visible from the street lights shining through the window.  Especially when the alpha didn’t stop there, but shoved him back onto his bed and crawled up his torso, pulling his shirt off with enough force to tear it.

What Sam found entertaining, as he grabbed a hold of Gabriel’s face and forced their eyes to lock, was, “Are we about to hook up, sober?”

“What?  You want me to fetch you a bottle of wine?”  Gabriel teased, rolling his hips down against Sam’s erection.

Which had the younger alpha gasping, and arching off the bed.

_Gabriel’s_ bed.

Because this _could_ be turning into something.  Since where would he have to run off to in the morning?

“The only thing I want,” Sam tried to take control, even a little, to rip off his clothing—or at least the top half, “Is you naked.  So I can suck you off.”

There was a glimmer in Gabriel’s eyes, the lustful scents pouring off him through the first wall of the blockers, as he ground down and asked, “Oh yeah?”

“Fuck, yes.”

Sam made a move to throw Gabriel off him, but the alpha was too quick, too strong.  But in the process, he took the request to heart and decided to pull his own clothing off.  After all, he wanted to be skin to skin.  Wanted to feel Sam, for real, without the liquor clouding his memory.  And the moans escaping his throat, while Gabriel wrapped his hand around Sam’s cock?  He _never_ wanted to forget those.

Once again, he tried (this attempt even more pathetic than the rest, due to the pleasure Gabriel’s hand was giving him) to tackle him down, but Gabriel was teasing Sam.  Again.

“You sure you’re ready for the big leagues, kid?”  Gabe asked, as he nipped his neck, causing a full-body shudder from the young alpha.  “Don’t wanna push you—”

“I _want_ to,” Sam snarled, narrowing his eyes.  “You’re not pushing me to do anything, just fuckin’ lay back and let me suck your cock.”

“Never thought I’d be having this discussion,” Gabriel mused, before he dipped down for a particularly sensual, heated kiss, before maneuvering them around.

He almost added a ‘have at it,’ but didn’t want to risk pissing Sam off anymore.

Yeah, Gabriel was nervous.  Not to have someone suck his dick, hell no, he was all about that.  He was nervous it was going to turn Sam away.  Up until now, he’d tried to keep their activities ‘generic.’  The same kind of encounters one could have with a beta.  A knot in his mouth would solidify the whole alpha-alpha thing, and something like that may have Sam thinking differently about them.

If there was going to be a ‘them.’

But the second his cock was engulfed in that tight heat, Sam’s tongue and mouth eager—Gabriel wasn’t sure which way was up.

The concept that this was his first time, and he’d had to _order_ Gabriel to let him do this, the fact Sam wanted it, _that badly_...Jesus, it was such a turn on.  Gabe needed to get his act together, needed to collect his scattered brain cells, because he couldn’t let himself fall apart so soon.

But Sam made it so easy.

It was sloppy; the way he licked up and down his shaft, covered him in saliva, and as soon as he had him nice and wet, he took him into his mouth again.  While he was bobbing up and down on his cock, Gabriel soon knew what the kid was up to.

He was getting him slicked up, because his knot was already forming, and Sam’s hand went to work massaging it, gliding his fingers around it in the perfect way.  At first, Gabriel tried to hold back any noises coming from his throat, but at this point?  Modesty, be damned.

Sam was doing a fucking _amazing_ job, and he couldn’t get enough; and with his filter gone, his moans let the younger alpha know it.

They also encouraged him, as the younger alpha hummed around his cock, and Gabe was worried he was done for.  He reached down to fist handfuls of Sam’s hair, debating whether he should fuck his mouth, or pull him away.  There was a middle ground he landed on: moaning while Sam’s tongue swirled around the head of his cock and running his hand, caressingly, through his hair.

“Y-you’re totally a liar, you’ve done this before,” Gabriel accused with a huff.  “Ain’t no way anyone’s got this much natural talent with blowjobs.”

The rumbling chuckle sent another shiver down his spine, and it was then he knew he had to pull Sam off.  Which was harder than he thought it was going to be.  Sam resisted at first, which had Gabriel question why the hell he was having him stop in the first place, but _oh_ , yeah.

When he finally hauled Sam back and nipped at his earlobe, he moaned, “Jesus, that was amazing.”

“Then why did you stop me?”  His tone, as well as his scent, was a mix of challenge and slight frustration, but also overwhelmingly heavy arousal.

“’Cause it was too amazing, you were gonna get me off in record time.”  He rolled Sam over to his side, and purposefully made eye contact, emphasizing every word.  “Nothing more I want than to knot your mouth.  Shoot cum down your throat.  But that’ll be next time.  Because you know what I think we should try, instead?”

Sam’s breath caught in his chest from intrigue, wanting to know what the promises and whatever the next words to leave Gabriel’s mouth were.  He knew he was staring at Gabriel’s mouth, in fact, waiting.  So Sam moved further, to tilt his head to the side, so he could duck forward enough to nibble on the hinge of his jaw, and loop a leg high on Gabriel’s waist.

And then, all the planning went to shit.

Because right now?  From where Sam had him locked and the angle?  When he rolled his hips forward, Gabe’s dick brushed past Sam’s balls and reached all the way to the cleft of his ass.  Sam whimpered lightly, and repeated the teasing motion, which blew Gabriel’s mind because he has no idea _who_ was in control of what anymore.

“Are you _trying_ to kill me, Sammy?”  His voice was hoarse and rich with lust.

Because if Gabriel were lubed up, and he moved _just_ an inch or two?  He’d be filling Sam’s tight ass _full_ of his cock.  Sam did this deliberately because Gabriel had told him no on the blowjob.

His tone was all faked innocence, as his hips kept rolling, and he asked, “What’s wrong, Gabe?”

“I’ll tell you what the fuck is wrong,” he growled low in his chest, before he switches their positions.  Completely.  “You’re a fucking _tease_ , and there’s only so much I can deal with.”

Sam’s heart is hammering in his chest, because being face down, ass up is not exactly what he was prepared for...Shit, his cock was leaking precum, and throbbing it’s so hard, and the fact that Gabriel had complete control?  He didn't know if there was a bigger turn on.  Although he was nervous about what Gabriel's planned to do, he does know one thing for sure.

Gabriel would never hurt him.

“Don’t worry, little alpha.  I’m just gonna give you a taste of your own medicine.  Nothing we haven’t done before, just with an—how would you say—added bonus.”

“Bon—?”

His word turned into a shout out from being so caught off guard and alarmed when Gabriel circled his tongue around Sam’s hole.

Gabe had to hold back a chuckle as Sam squirmed under him, knowing the younger alpha had no idea what to do, so he kept going.  Gabriel knew he’d love this, and he’d be shouting for more in no time.

Sure, the initial move had been out of revenge, but now Gabriel could really take his time.  Lapping his tongue all the way from Sam’s balls to the cleft of his ass.  Blowing softly against the wet flesh that made the alpha under him shudder, and goose bumps litter his flesh.  He languidly licked around his entrance, but didn’t go further.  

Until Sam started moaning and begging.

Although Sam didn’t know what he was begging _for_ , it was something Gabriel could take pity on.

He circled Sam’s hole with his tongue, and although it began with the ghost of a touch, each revelation increased in pressure.  And soon his tongue was inside Sam’s ass, plunging in and out, which had the alpha whimpering desperately and arching into the touch.

Gabriel knew for a fact he heard, “Holy fuck, Gabe, feels so good,” so he went ahead with his initial plan.

The way Sam’s hips moved back towards him, the way he completely submitted to him and left himself at Gabriel’s mercy was a fucking beautiful sight.  He wasn’t going to take it for granted.  Although he would take advantage of it.

In the midst of tongue-fucking Sam, his index finger dragged through the mess of saliva already between Sam’s cheeks before slowly dipping in.  Gabriel’s tongue never stopped, as he worked the digit all the way up to the knuckle, and paid special attention to Sam’s scents.

What he hadn’t expected was for the man underneath him to order, “More, c’mon…”

Which happened to send a pulse through Gabe’s neglected cock—but who was he to say no?  Sam had taken two fingers before, but not this quickly.  He was a demanding, sassy little thing. Sam knew exactly what he wanted.

As soon as Gabriel had two fingers pumping inside him, and he knew he’d found Sam’s prostate, he shifted his position.  God, there was precum coating his dick, demanding attention, but Sam shouting out and grabbing desperately at the sheets was so much more important…

Right before Gabriel could reach out to grab Sam’s cock, he and the younger alpha locked eyes and the world stood still as he demanded, looking over his shoulder, “More, Gabe, please—” and the air was completely stolen from Gabriel’s lungs.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sober as fuck right now,” he nearly sat all the way back onto Gabriel’s space. “If I tell you I want three fingers, I’m _dead_ fuckin’ _serious_.”

Gabriel opened his mouth to say he didn’t want to hurt him, but the fire and determination behind Sam’s gaze was all alpha.  And it knocked him on his ass, how fucking gorgeous the kid was.  Gabriel wanted to give him anything he wanted.  And he sure as fuck had no problem with this.

He shoved Sam forward, grabbing the back of his neck in a display of power.  Analyzing all the scents up until now—all the things that turned him on—the fact that Gabriel was superior happened to be one of them.  He never could have imagined this to be one of Sam’s kinks.

Although there was lube in his drawer, he didn’t want to stall what was happening to grab it.  He had to strategically spit on the third finger, before slowly working it in.

“Fuck, you’re so tight, Sam.” The words were out of his mouth before he knew it, and he was unconsciously rocking against the man’s thigh.  “What I wouldn’t give—”

He had to force himself to stop.  And even though the question was right on Sam’s lips, Gabe nailed his sweet spot again and shut him up, just in time.

Jesus, now that he was three fingers deep, all Gabriel’s hyped up brain could think about was fucking him.  If he could _just_ get in a fourth finger…

But that would be the point of no return.  A deal breaker.  A fucking taboo.

That didn’t keep him from slamming Sam’s legs together and fucking into the space between his muscled thighs.

Sam had been moaning so long, he knew it was just a matter of time, which Gabriel had been biding for him.  But right now?  Who knows if it’d freak Sam out, or turn him on.  He was thrusting between his legs at the same pace he was using to finger-fuck Sam, in perfect sync.  Almost like a sneak-peek of what it _could_ be like.  If Sam ever wanted it—

The younger alpha was the first to shout out, and squeeze his legs together, tighter, for Gabriel, while he came.  He even arched back to meet the thrusts, as though they really were fucking.  It was that thought, that _initiative_ Sam had taken, that had Gabriel blowing his load right after Sam.

Being on his hands and knees so long, caused Sam to topple over immediately, taking Gabriel down with him.  Not that he minded, because Sam was grabbing for him, trying to pull their sweat-covered bodies together, still wanting to be closer.  Of course, Gabe went willingly, especially when Sam started kissing him again.

And, goddamn, their drunken romps had nothing on this, this was so much more.

So much more of _everything_.

Sam hadn’t reached down to get them off again; right now, that was the last thing on his mind.  Gabriel could scent him, and it reminded him of the previous night, when they’d taken the shower together.  That intimacy he wanted, instead.

No, Sam wasn’t here for an in and out fuck.  Which was probably why he had been so pissed off with Gabriel leaving him in the first place.  Twice.

No, that’s not what this alpha was about.

He was genuine.  He was happy, right here, just…existing with one another.

After mind-blowing sex, of course.

The afterglow make-out was something Gabriel eagerly returned, and had to force himself to refrain from crawling on top of him for another round.  What could he say?  Sam was just that fucking alluring.  
  
But still, this…this was good.  Laying side by side, as their lips slowed down into a lazy pace.  Then, finished up with their foreheads resting against one another, collecting their breaths.

“I’m glad I didn’t bring out that bottle of wine,” Gabriel had to admit in that teasing way he always spoke with.

“Heh,” Sam was slow to finish up with, “It’s kind of funny.  In the last couple years, I’ve probably only drank four times.  You’ve been there for three of them.”

“You fuckin’ with me right now?”

“No, I’m not.”  He would have shook his head, if he wasn’t so comfortable.  “I only really drink to celebrate.  And, I guess, to deal with my idiot friends.”

“All right.”  Now, Gabriel was counting, “Met you on your one year sober anniversary.  Saw you again on your law school celebration shindig.  Then, the idiot friends.  When was the other one?”

There was a long, drawn out pause where Gabriel wasn’t sure if he had time to take his words back or not.

“Me and my brother, celebrating when I was officially sober.  When I finally kicked it.”  Sam sighed something long and his voice turned serious.  “You’ve told me a couple of your secrets.  Want me to tell you one of mine?  Only if we don’t bring it up again, I mean.  Unless you’re gonna kick me out, and this thing between us is nothing, or whatever.”

Gabriel’s hand flew up and instantly cupped Sam’s cheek. “It’s not nothing, dumbass.  You’re staying tonight.  Although, since we’re both nice and sober, I may order you around and get you to help me change the sheets.”  He tried to lighten the mood with, “Cuddling’s better when you’re not rollin’ around in jizz, am I right?”

Then, he waited.

He’d given Sam confirmation that they _were_ something.  Or, he _wanted_ them to be.  That there had been misunderstandings in the past, but right here was good.  It was great.  And if Sam was ready to tell him something—something that he had been making random guesses at, himself, for quite a long time now—that was taking another step.

A step that should have terrified Gabriel, but…didn’t?

“My brother and I celebrated because, ah.  Shit,” he huffed out. “I guess I should start a little earlier than that.”  
  
He paused awkwardly, and asked in a quieter voice, “Can we smoke in here?”

Gabriel dropped his hand from Sam’s face and began running it up and down the length of his arm, tugging him up from the bed and over to the window where a pack of cigarettes was already at the window sill.  He wheeled the handle to crack the window open and pulled up the shade, nudity be damned, before handing Sam both a cigarette and a lighter.  Gabriel took one for himself, while snatching up the ashtray sitting on the dresser and lighting his own.  
  
He inhaled the smoke, sitting on the ledge, telling Sam he was there and he’d wait as long as he wanted.  He could take his time, and Gabe wasn’t going anywhere.

“When I was a kid, we didn’t have money.  I always had this stupid dream of being a lawyer, I was set on it.  Nothing was gonna stop me from it.  So all I did was study.  Never had any friends, never had a girlfriend, never went to prom.  All I did was school work and apply for scholarships, so I could get into the best school.”  His voice was even, like he was reading from a script.  After a particularly long drag and a clouded smokey sigh, he went on.  “And it all worked out.  I got into Stanford, full ride, and during welcome week I met this girl and she was everything I wasn’t.  Confidence, attitude, charisma in that bad-girl way...I was drawn to her right off the bat.  Completely sucked me in and I thought I was in love with her.  Now I know it was infatuation, because I didn’t know what it was like to have feelings for someone, you know?”

“Mm, sometimes love and infatuation run a thin line, I can vouch for that,” Gabriel admitted, thinking about his own past.

“Right?  I’d do anything for her, and since I knew I was there on scholarship, and my hard work had paid off I thought I could _finally_ let loose a little.  After all, all I had to do was keep my GPA above a 3.5 which was easy, so I was able to spend a lot of time with her.  But…after a while, I got to know her friends.  And was introduced to her scene.  Which was the last place I wanted to be.”

His scent was the strangest mixture of things; nostalgia, frustration, but there was still a part of him clinging happily to Gabriel, despite everything else.  He had reached out, sometime during his story, to interlace their fingers, Gabriel’s thumb was stroking the back of his hand.

“It started out casual, just smoking weed when we were hanging out, but one time when we were alone she asked if I wanted to try something different.  Like I said.  I thought I was in love, I trusted her, and I didn’t think anything she could do would hurt me.  That was the first time I tried heroin.”  Sam swallowed down the dryness in his throat, and if there was one instance he wished he could scent Gabriel, it would be _this_ moment in time.  “Of course, you can’t do it once.  I was completely addicted.  I was skipping classes, my life was fucking falling apart, and it wasn’t until four months later that my brother stormed in from where we used to live in Kansas, guns blazing, and rescued me.”

“And he did.”  Sam’s voice was firm, ashing into the tray.  “He rescued me.  He dropped his entire life to come up here, to take care of me, just like he used to do when we were kids and, fuck, that was the hardest thing I had to do in my entire life.  I know six months isn’t a long time but—”

“You could’ve lost your life any one of those days,” Gabriel interrupted, cigarette all but forgotten.  “Don’t discredit anything, Sam.  That’s amazing you were able to overcome that addiction.  That’s…”

Gabriel couldn’t even figure out the right words to say, imagining his own brother every day.  Imagining that happening to _Sam_ …some protective instinct flared deep down and he had to smother it before it came to the surface.  It was then that he suffocated the burning ember in the ashtray, completely.

“That’s a damn good reason to celebrate with your brother,” he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Sam’s forehead.  “And now I feel like a huge dickface ruining your morning after one year anniversary.”

Thank God, Sam actually laughed.  “At least the night was good.  I went out there, a place I’d gone with my girlfriend a hundred times, to prove I overcame it.  It was supposed to be cathartic, and yeah, a little pathetic, going out by myself.  But I didn’t care.  It was my night, you know?  Never thought I’d find you there.  You changed things pretty damn quick.”

“What’re the chances of that, huh?”

“I know.”  He shook his head with a chuckle, breathing in the last hit of his cigarette, “So, congrats, now you know my secret and you’ve had the pleasure of seeing me be a hot fucking mess more than anyone I know, except for my brother.”

Gabriel noticed the anxiety in Sam’s scent spiked.  Like he was waiting for an answer, or a ‘you’re a loser, get out of my apartment.’

So, instead, he stood up and picked the finished cig from Sam’s fingertips to discard in the tray.  He pulled the other alpha closer and nipped the top of his ear, and said, “Cutest hot mess I’ve had the pleasure of seeing.”

That seemed to calm his scent and leave Sam squirming from the bite, because Gabriel already knew he was somewhat ticklish there.

And just like that, he stated, “I’m serious about the clean up.  It’s not late enough to claim exhaustion, Moose,” and tried to pull Sam to stand from the window ledge.

There was a brilliant smile on his face, even though he rolled his eyes and attempted to look put out as he complained, “Fine.  Where are the sheets?”

“You strip the bed, I’ll go grab those.” Gabriel threw a wink over his shoulder, and did just that.

While he started pulling down the folded laundry from the linen closet, he couldn’t help but muse over how far in over his head he was.  Someone knew where he lived.  Someone knew where he worked.  Someone knew he was a true alpha.  Someone knew his real name.  And this someone was willing to share the skeletons in his closets right back.  Gabriel didn’t want this to be too good to be true, because that’s exactly what it was.

But when Sam’s voice asked around the corner, “Where do you want me to put these?” he realized he wanted him here.  He wanted him a part of his life.

And fuck, that was a hard pill to swallow.

He gave special thanks to his blockers as he dumped the clean sheets on the bed, and took the dirty ones, explaining, “I’ll shove these in the laundry room,” and pranced away.

When he came back in, Sam was half done with the bed, and when he joined in, they finished in record time.  The comforter (thank God) had gone unsoiled, so they were able to keep warm in the cool night air flowing freely through Gabriel’s apartment, having decided to leave the window open.

“Remember, I’m the big spoon,” Gabriel announced, as he hopped over to the side closest to the window—a habit he _still_ hadn’t been able to break—always feeling the need for an easy escape.

“Yeah, yeah.”  Sam got situated, and his scent was so content, it was beckoning Gabe to sleep as soon as he caught a whiff.

Until Sam spoke up, one last time.

“Hey, Gabe?”

“Mm?”

“Will you…” he couldn’t get the words out.

And Gabriel was exhausted, so he prompted, “You just told me one of your deepest, darkest secrets, kiddo.  What’s the question?”

“Heh,” there was no humor in his snort, but it did make him speak up with his inquiry.  “Can we have a night where you don’t wear blockers?”

That was enough to catch Gabriel off guard.  “That’s your question?”

“Hey, I’m being serious, here.  I’m at a disadvantage, because you can read me like a book, and I’ve got nothing on you,” he huffed, even though he was drawing Gabe closer with his arms.

“Reading you like a book has nothing to do with your scent, Sam.  You’re open and honest.  I’d be able to read ya even if _you_ were the one wearing blockers.”  He leaned forward and kissed the junction of his neck and shoulder.

“So it’s a no.”

For some reason, this was important to Sam.

Gabriel couldn’t figure out exactly why, though.  He’d told him the reason he wore blockers, shouldn’t that be enough?  But then again, he asked for a night to themselves.  When it was just them, where he could go without blockers.  It didn’t seem too unreasonable, but still.

“It’s a ‘I’ll think about it.’”

“Okay.”

That was definitely accompanied by a bitchface Gabriel couldn’t see.

“Sam,” Gabriel used a whining voice as he squeezed the other man’s middle tightly, “I’ll do it.  If you promise not to get weirded out about the alpha thing and kick me to the curb.”

“ _That’s_ what you’re worried about?”  It was an instant demand.

“…Maybe?”

“Gabriel,” this was Sam’s patronizing tone, “I had my mouth on your knot tonight, let you eat me out and finger fuck me.  Completely sober.  I think the alpha weirdness is out of the way.”

“Oo, I _love_ it when you talk dirty,” he cooed and flicked his tongue along the expanse of neck in front of him.  “All right, fine.”

“Really?”  He had an almost child-like curiosity, previous obscenities aside, when he tilted his head back to look at Gabriel.

“Yeah, yeah.  We can do that.”  He leaned forward and kissed him, lingering there for a second, “Won’t do it for anyone but you, Moose.  You better be on your best behavior.”

And, for God knows what reason Gabriel couldn’t explain, there was a kind of…excitement fueling the air.

Which is why he had to laugh and nuzzle against Sam with the order of “We’ll plan it out.  For now, let’s get some sleep.”

“All right.  Night, Gabe.”

And it was the best night of sleep Gabriel had gotten in a long fucking time.


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though I don't note it every chapter, endless love and thanks go to [kittenbot](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kittenbot/pseuds/kittenbot) for being a beta MASTER and making me and this fic look good <3

Sam woke up to a poke in the face.

Like, a literal finger, prodding into the flesh of his cheek.

With heavy eyes, he slowly opened them to see Gabriel sitting up in bed watching him, and continuing to poke him.

“The fuck…?”  He asked, and swatted the finger away.

“I’m gonna make breakfast,” the alpha announced, dipping in and kissing Sam on the nose.  “I didn’t want you to wake up alone and get bitchy, so I wanted to show you that I was still here, but I am headed to the kitchen.  That cool with you?”

Sam followed the man’s body warmth, wrapped his arms around his middle and laughed at his reasoning. “Gee, thanks.  What’s for breakfast?”

“Whatcha want for breakfast?”  Gabriel let him nestle and patted him on the back.  “I’m an excellent chef.  Believe it or not.”

When he looked up it was with an eyebrow raised in disbelief.  “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.  Now, unlatch, and I’ll show you.”

“What time is it?”

“That has nothing to do with you unlatching,” Gabriel started poking him again, “but it’s a little bit before eight.  Haven’t slept in like this in a hot sec.  You’re a nice cuddle buddy, ya know that?”

“ _You’re_ an early riser?”

“I know, right?  I understand why you’re unconvinced by that one.  So, what’ll it be?  Gimmie a food order, then I’ll fix it right up.  If not, I’ll start tickling you.”

Gabriel’s tone was mischievous in the way Sam had no doubt he’d stay true to his word.

So he pulled away, sat up enough to kiss him on the cheek, and dramatically fell back to the bed with a sigh. “Chef’s choice.”

“Sounds good to me.”

\-------------------

The next time Sam awoke, it was to the scent of something amazing.

And neither his nose nor Gabriel had lied to him.

This was breakfast, and it had him hopping out of bed, looking for his boxers in record time.

As soon as they were on, he followed his nose to the kitchen, where a stack of pancakes and bacon were waiting for him.  

Gabriel was finishing the last one, as he turned around with a smile and commented, “It’s a rule.  Whenever you’re here, you have to stay like that.”

“Like what?”  Sam raised an eyebrow as he took a seat at the table and glanced over the spread of maple syrup and coffee.

“Half naked.  Or fully naked, I’m down with either.”  He shot him a wink as he brought over the last plate and switched it for the one in front of Sam.  “You get the freshest ones.  It’s in my host nature, no bitching.”

Sam had a retort on the tip of his tongue, but then again, he was also almost drooling so he put it on hold and reached for the syrup.  Because Gabriel was waiting for him to, with a nod of his head.  Then he took a bite.

“Holy shit.” Sam couldn’t even wait to swallow before he spoke up.  “You weren’t messing around.”

“I know.” Gabriel was smug as he began eating his own food.  “You think _this_ is awesome?  You should see how I bake.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Depends, do rabbits eat dessert?”

With a snort, and a few more forkfuls of food, Sam officially decided, “This rabbit will.”

After they finished their meal Sam admitted aloud, “This is literally the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time.  My brother’s an awesome cook, but he hasn’t done breakfast in forever.  Thank you.”

When he looked up, it was to see Gabe’s smiling face, before he started collecting their finished plates and silverware and taking them to the sink.

“Glad ya liked it.  One of my many talents.  I’ll continue to feed you, as long as you continue to not wear a shirt around here.  I’ll have the ‘Clothing Optional’ sign posted up, very soon.”

So what if Sam couldn’t contain his huge grin. “Is that a fact?”

“It’s been decided.  I already know a guy who knows a guy.”

“Sounds official.”

“Yep.”  Gabriel popped the ‘p’ before looking over his shoulder.  “Whatcha got going on today?  Or later this week?”

“More studying.  Hopefully Brady isn’t a douchebag and actually helps me this time.” Sam slumped in his chair. “At least something good came out of it.  I got to see you at work, even though I was probably a pain in the ass to babysit.”

“Nah, I’m used to babysitting, trust me.”  It was then, Gabriel remembered he was supposed to deliberately keep Cas out of the picture.  So he took it in a different direction, something he had been meaning to do for a while. “How long have you known that dude, anyway?”

“Brady?”  Sam asked to Gabriel’s turned back, while he cleaned the dishes. “Just this past year.  Had a lot of the same classes, always got along great.  It wasn’t until the other night that he pulled anything weird.  He’s usually a legit, focused and driven kind of guy.

“I don’t know, Sam.”

“Huh?”  He kept looking at the alpha, who’d halted his movements and not because he was finished with the dishes.

In fact, Gabriel changed his mind and let them soak in the sink to get the syrup off better, before he turned back around to sit in front of Sam.  He aimed for nonchalance, as he crossed his legs and collapsed into the seat, with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Maybe in class he’s a good guy.  Maybe he’s a good study buddy and will make a good lawyer.  I’m not about to discredit any of that, all right?”  Gabriel waited for Sam to nod before he continued, “But when I met him the night he’d ditched you for the strip club?  He’s shady.  Like, your old crowd, shady.  And I know it may not matter to you, because you’re stronger than that, but I know for a fact everyone in that group the other night was coked up but you.  Something tells me he was trying to pressure you, too.  By all means, keep him as a study-buddy, but I got bad vibes.”

Sam paused and simmered for a second to take all the information in.  It was true—the other night he saw a side of Brady he’d never witnessed before; but at the same time who knew if it was him having a ‘once in a blue moon’ party night and letting loose?  Sure, he’d told him a fib, but that had been the only one…  The fact was, he’d known Brady a lot longer than Gabriel, so he had no idea if this alpha in front of him was posturing or not.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”  Sam’s voice stayed neutral.

Which told Gabriel he was not going to heed his warning.

“Yeah, okay.  Good.”  He nodded and tried to paste on a smile even though he knew he’d been shut down.  “Just somethin’ to think about, that’s all I’m saying.  What I really wanted to know,” he leaned forward on the table with his arms crossed and their eyes locked, “is when I’ll get to see your sweet ass strutting around here again?”

Thankfully, that turned the mood around and had Sam responding, “Guess it’s whenever you’ve got a night off.  Your schedule’s probably harder to work with than mine, now that I know what you do with all your late nights.”

“Yeah, they blow.  When there are much _better_ things that deserve blowing.”  He wiggled his eyebrows obnoxiously.  “Okay, so we’re on Monday morning, yeah?  I think I get out at a good time on Wednesday and have Thursday off.  Weekend’s always packed, but anytime you feel like a late night slash early morning booty call,” he winked, “you know who to get a hold of, yeah?”

“Sure do.” Sam was now completely desensitized to the other alpha’s antics.  “I’ll tell you what.  I’m gonna take off, go through my work load and try to space it out so we plan a day or two this week.”

“There’s my OCD lawyer.”

“Shut up.”

“I’ll be waiting with bated breath for your text.” Gabriel stood up and crossed the room, so he could lift up Sam’s chin and kiss him.

They stayed like that for a while, just lingering, and it wasn’t until someone’s phone vibrating caused them to pull apart.  Gabriel was the one to roll his eyes and head to the kitchen counter and look at the message.

Which was obviously from his goddamn brother.

Sam called out from behind him, “I’ll get my stuff together.”

To which he couldn’t even respond because Cas had given him an address to come pick him up from.  That was _three fucking hours_ away.  How did the idiot end up there?  Had he ditched out on the last days of Meg’s heat?  Was she with him?  Thank God he hadn’t gotten this until now, and today he didn’t have to go into work until later.  But, fuck, this was going to be pushing it.  He was silently stewing, and jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, you alright?” Sam had fallen back a few steps by Gabriel’s physical reaction, and he looked alarmed.

“Yeah, sorry, just some business I gotta take care of today.  Just came up.”  He looped his arms around Sam’s waist and looked up at him. “But lookie that.  I refused to ditch you and I made you breakfast.  Am I making it up to you yet?”

“You’re on the road to redemption,” Sam teased and ducked down to kiss him.  “But really.  Are you okay?  I didn’t mean to scare the crap out of you.”

“Sorry, just caught me off guard.”  He tried to distract the other alpha by teasing at his neck, and sucking a mark along the expanse of skin.  “There.  So Madison and all others know to keep their dirty mitts off.”

Sam’s hand jerked and slapped over his throat, because he could feel the raised skin and shot him a half-hearted glare. “What the hell, Gabe, you—”

“Excuse me, _alpha_?”  He pointed to himself, then tried to coax Sam closer.  “What can I say, I don’t like to share.”

“You—” The bitch face faded as he realized the meaning behind it, and he shook his head.  “Fine.  Maybe _ask_ , next time?”

“Nah, I like catching you off guard.  Now kiss me again, get outta here and figure out yer fuckin’ schedule.”

Sam was happy to oblige.

\-----------------

For such a picture-perfect morning, the call Gabriel had to place to Cas after the alpha of his dreams left, was anything _but_.  He needed to know what he was in for, so he hopped up on the counter and let the phone ring.

And ring.

And ring.

“Goddammit.”  He squeezed it tightly in his hand, and tried not to throw it, but before he could, it lit up with an unknown number.  “Hello?”

There was a slightly annoyed British accent on the other end who asked, “Is this Cassie’s brother dearest?”

“Yeah, who the fuck are you?”

“This is Balthazar, your little bro decided to take a nap after he texted you, so I thought I’d explain the situation.”

“Oh.” Gabriel actually had to give this man, no matter how much of a asshat he sounded like, a little bit of credit.  “What’s going on?”

“Cassie and I have been friends since undergrad, and I’ve been abroad, until now.  When I told him I’d arrived home, and he asked if I was still living in the same area, I had _no idea_ he’d haul himself and his wet, slick bitch’s ass all the way over.  Apparently, a friend drove them and left early this morning and they’re without a ride back.”

“Fuckin’ idiot.”  Gabriel could already feel a headache coming on. “No, now I remember you.  You and Cas used to be study buddies before he went off the rails.”

“Indeed.” There was a heaviness in Balthazar’s tone. “I had no concept he was going to show up like _this_.  We’ve kept up communication, but…Gabriel, right?”

“Yeah.”

His tone held a little bit of disbelief. “What happened to him?”

“I wish I could tell you.”  He hopped off the counter. “I’m headed over there now.  Thanks for the call, uh, just make sure he gets lots of water and tell him I’m kicking his ass so hard when I get there.”

“I’ll alert him.  And I apologize for the hassle, if I had known he’d—”

“Don’t sweat it, last night was probably a fist fulla Adderall night, or something.”

“ _Jesus_.”

“I’ll see you in three hours.”

\-----------------

This time when Brady came over to help work on their summer workload, he was true to his word.  Sam had a feeling he would be, because once you were caught, you turned your act around pretty fucking quick.

They were reading through case files, applying them to hypothetical scenarios and talking through them, while citing all the references they had already pulled as given to them by their professors.  Together, they were moving efficiently along and as soon as mid-afternoon hit, they took a much needed break.

Sam was in the kitchen, grabbing some food when Brady’s voice became very distracting.

Well, not his voice.

The things he was saying.

“So.  Sam.  You gotta tell me more about Gabriel.”  Then, with a sneer he added, “And not just about that damn hickey on your neck.  But we could start with that, as an opener.”

When he turned the corner, bringing out the snacks they were going to munch on, he shrugged.

“I told you, Gabriel does what he wants.”  Even Sam knew there was a dumb smile on his face.

“Pretty forward, though, marking you.”  Brady reached out and snatched the cheese and crackers Sam had in his arms. “Did he do it when you were fucking him?”

“Wow.”  Sam stared Brady down with confusion. “Speaking of _forward_.”

“Just curious,” he shrugged with all the indifference in the world.  “I just wanna know more.  From the way you talk about him, and the way he acts around you it seems like he’s gonna be around for a while.”

“Yeah, I mean, I hope.”  And that was something he could say with sincerity.

“Like I said,” Brady spared him a glance while munching, “he’s got the seal of approval from me.”

“But?”  Sam knew he was leading into something, he just couldn’t figure out what.

“No but, dude.  I’m usually damn good at knowing this stuff, but I can’t tell if he’s an omega or beta.”  He clucked his tongue, but then tilted his head in-between bites to give Sam a significant look.  “The way he told Madison off?  Pure perfection.  If only we could have recorded that!  But it was almost like he was posturing, I guess.”

“Well, he could‘ve been.”  Sam decided to bite the bullet and say screw it. “He’s an alpha.”

“Woah.”  Brady went stark-still.

Sam watched him, and nodded.

“An _alpha_?  Are you fucking with me right now?”  His friend seemed baffled, and his scent reflected it, with a touch of disbelief. “Hah-hah, Sam.  Nice joke.”

“I’m not joking.  Gabriel’s an alpha.  So maybe he _was_ posturing.  It doesn’t matter, I broke up with Madison.  Officially.  She wasn’t taking the hint so it was probably for the best he was the one to tell her off.  At least he did it in a nice way,” Sam shrugged, but he couldn’t get over the incredulous look in Brady’s eyes.

“You’re serious.”

Finally, Sam had enough of this and narrowed his eyes into a glare. “That’s what I’ve been telling you.  What’s your problem?”

“Dude.  Alphas and alphas?  That’s just a no-go.  I never thought in a _million years_ you’d be seriously thinking about _dating_ one.”

“What do you mean, it’s a no-go?”  Sam challenged him right back.

“It’s just… _not right_.  Like, we were all created different for a reason, and us alphas are at the head of the pack, dude.  Why would you want... _why_ would you…” he trailed off, trying to explain it, but if there was one thing Sam now noticed, it was that he scented _disgust_ rolling off Brady.  “Sure, Gabriel’s awesome.  And he could pass for a beta.  But he’s an alpha, Sam.  Doesn’t being with someone with a knot gross you out?  Are you gonna bend over and take it?”

“Are you finished being a fuckin’ _bigot_?” He snarled, done with listening to Brady’s tirade and the fact he was degrading not only himself, but Gabriel as well.  “I don’t give a shit.  I didn’t even know he was an alpha when I met him, and that’s when we clicked.  Finding out after, didn’t bother me in the least, because Gabriel is Gabriel.  Who the fuck cares if he’s an alpha.  I like him, _that’s_ what counts.”

Brady was silent while he listened and watched him; then he could only shake his head, admitting defeat.

“Whatever.  Your life, I guess.”

“Exactly.   _My_ life.” Sam’s inner alpha was all revved up from Brady’s scent, caught up in between defense and offense. “You said you gave your ‘seal of approval.’  And just like that, he’s not an omega or beta, and it’s gone?   _You’re_ the one who’s a fickle knothead.”

“Yeah, I said I liked him!  And I do!  I _don’t_ like the idea of you two fucking!”

Brady was ready to bite his tongue, until Sam’s latest retort, but now he was standing up and grabbing his things. “I don’t wanna fight with you, Sam.  Just giving you my goddamn opinion.  Which happens to be the _rest of the world’s_ opinion.  So good luck with that.  I’ll give you the day to cool the fuck down, and once you’ve done that we’ll be able to get some fuckin’ work done.  Because now _you‘re_ the posturing asshole.”

“Fantastic.  Leave,” Sam agreed and swept his arm in the direction of the door.  “Good to know you’re such a wonderful and supportive friend, Brady.”

There were no more words exchanged as the other alpha stormed out, and Sam was left in a deafening silence.

He huffed and crossed his arms on the table, ducking his head to rest his forehead on the makeshift cushion.  He was trying to catch his breath, because he saw _red_ when Brady was talking shit about Gabriel.  Sam hadn’t felt his inner alpha scratch at the surface that wildly in a long time.

It was so hard to unwind, to get his heartbeat to slow down to something a little more natural.  Fuck, he never thought this was going to be an issue.  But if his best friend, one of the people he trusted the most, thought the two of them together was revolting...

What was he supposed to do?

He never felt that, hell, he felt the opposite.  This wasn’t something he could bring to Gabriel, because he knew this was something _Gabriel_ had been worried about, from day one.  This didn’t change his feelings at all, but it stewed something awful in his stomach.

And he hated the way he felt.

He hated the sour taste, scent, fucking _everything_ Brady had left him with.

This was something Sam didn’t want to sit with.  He had to do something…and there was one person who would be able to tell him if he was overacting or not.  So he lingered a second more, and placed a phone call.

He almost hung up after the first two rings, but he knew he couldn’t turn back now.

Especially when the cheery voice on the other line greeted, “What’s up, bitch!”

“Hey, jerk.”  And he had to admit, hearing his brother’s voice already made him feel better.

“Woah, nothin' chipper 'bout you, right now.” Dean never held back.  “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Sam sighed, then admitted, “no, I don’t know.  It’s just—”

“Spit it out, Sammy.”

“I got into a fight with one of my friends and I can’t chill out.  He—”

“Want me to kick his ass?”  Dean’s protective instincts were already rising, his ‘big brother guard’ showing loud and proud.

“He’s a dick.  But, okay.  I don’t know how to put this.  I wanted to talk about what the fight was about.” Sam massaged his temples, trying to figure out the best way to word it.

“I’m listening.”  He had on his ‘serious tone,’ not the jovial bullshitting tone.  He really was listening.

“Do you think it’s fucked up for two alphas to date?” He word-vomited, knowing there was no beating around the bush, and Dean would be the first person to call him out on any ‘hypothetical situations.’

“ _Hell no_ , you can be with anyone you wanna be with, what the fuck is your friend’s deal?”  Then, his voice lifted with a wash of excitement. “You seein’ someone, Sam?  She a hottie?”

“It’s a he, and yeah,” Sam got out the last bit of information, and waited on bated breath.

“Oh,” Dean sounded surprised, but he didn’t sound offended or freaked like Brady.  “Congrats, dude!”  Then, in typical Dean fashion, his voice took on a lewd tone, “Are you a bottom, Sammy?”

“Shut up!”  But he laughed, he _finally_ laughed about the situation and his mind was at ease.  “We just started seeing each other and, uh, I really like him.  But Brady just gave me the wake up call, smack in the face, that not all of the world approves, and he spewed his revulsion all over me.  It doesn’t even register with me we’re both alphas and—”

“Fuck Brady.  Well, not literally. If you’re happy, Sammy, do what makes you happy.  Or, let _happy_ do _you_ , ain’t no one the wiser.”  He started laughing at his own joke.  “Was this your big alpha freak out?  You’re good, baby bro.  And I’m stoked for you.  Minus all the stewing knothead hate, it sounds like you’ve gotta helluva crush going on there.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Did you really expect to get through this phone call without me teasing you?”  Dean snorted, “Hey, I gotta get back to work, but I wanna hear about him, you got it?  Make sure he’s good enough for you and all that shit.  We’ll talk soon.”

“All right, Dean.  And, uh, thanks.”

“No problemo, and tell anyone who gives you shit that my foot’ll be up their ass in no time flat, deal?”

“Deal.”

“See ya, bitch.”

When Sam hung up, he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.  It wasn’t like he needed confirmation, he just needed his _brother_.  In his younger years, he tried to get through things by himself; hell, even in college he did.  But after Dean helped him get clean and saved him, Sam realized there was nothing wrong with needing help.  With talking to Dean if he had a problem.  Those were the things that would build, and he didn’t want to sabotage whatever he had with Gabriel this soon, just because he was too nervous to ask for advice.

Even though he’d now left himself wide open for inevitable tormenting and twenty questions, it would still be worth it not to feel like a freak.

\------------

Gabriel had to restrain himself from kicking down the front door, because this wasn’t some stupid party, or some dumbass dealer he had to threaten.  This was an old friend of Cas’ who was just as worried about the alpha as he was.  So, he knocked politely, even though there was a storm brewing and tearing up his insides.

When the door opened, it was to face a blonde man Gabriel seemed to recognize, who excused himself from inside the apartment and joined him outside.

Which had Gabriel raising an eyebrow.

The man reached out his hand, and greeted, “Nice to officially meet you, Gabriel, I heard the knock and came out because apparently this omega, Meg,  she’s still in heat.  And he decided to bring her along and said she’d be all right if she was on enough Xanax.”  When Gabriel shook his hand, Balthazar continued, “Well, the Xanax ran out.  Which is why _I_ ran out.  What the bloody hell?”

“Nice to meet you, too.  And yeah, he’s a fuckin’ mess,” Gabriel confirmed then felt the need to pound his head against a wall.  “Are you kidding me?  They’re fucking right now?”

The look on the beta’s face said enough.

Gabriel jeered his thumb for the man to clear the doorway, as he grabbed the handle and opened it just enough to shout, “If you don’t fuckin’ pull out, I swear to god I’m leaving and Balthazar is kicking you out onto the fuckin’ street!”  And finished by slamming it shut.

With a nod of approval, the beta said, “Very good.  I’m in agreement with this plan.  Although, we should add in some fine print about clean up.”

“Who was the friend they were with?”  Gabriel leaned against the wall, with his arms crossed looking blankly into the hallway.

“I don’t know.  Some other woman.  One who was barely sober enough to make it. I was surprised not only by their entrance, but the fact they didn’t create a pile-up on the way over,” he grumbled. “Sure, when Cassie and I were in college, I was all about free love and drinking, but the amount of drugs in his system could kill a horse.”

“Tell me about it.  I’m always cleaning up his fucking messes.”

Balthazar looked him over, and genuine curiosity got the better of him. “I do hope this isn’t too forward, but why haven’t you attempted to intervene?”

Gabriel threw his head back and laughed. “Sorry, sorry.  I’ve known enough people.  I’ve had enough friends in these situations to know if they don’t want to get clean, they’re not gonna.  I keep an eye on him, and the fuckin’ second _he_ realizes just how bad _he’s_ fucked up, I’m throwing the dumbfuck into rehab.  But he’s gotta be the one to see it.  Can’t have someone forcing you to do it, it doesn’t work like that.”

“Huh.”  The beta watched him with scrutiny. “If you’re correct, it doesn’t look as though he’ll be doing anything about it anytime soon.”

“Like I said, I’m watching him.  He lets me know when he needs help, and for now?  That’s good enough for me.  Although this six hour rounds trip with the current unknown layover?  Fuck this.  I’ve got better things to be doing, I could—”

“Be doing that splendid alpha I’m scenting on you?”  Balthazar wiggled his eyebrows.

And Gabriel was so caught off guard, he started cracking up and couldn’t stop.

“Yeah, yeah,” he nodded, trying to catch his breath. “I’d love to be doing that ‘splendid alpha.’  But _unfortunately_ —”

The door interrupted him as Cas peeked out and announced, “I believe we’re ready.”

“God, you smell like sex,” Gabriel snapped at him. “Can you go rinse off, or something?”

Cas turned his attention to his friend, “May we rinse off?”

“Five minutes, max.”

Then, the door shut.

Both men huffed, but were eager to get the show on the road, and the two idiot druggies back where they belonged.

“Hey, add me to your contact list,” Gabriel relayed to the beta, “in case you guys are ever out, or he shows up unannounced, so I can get the heads up.”

“You’re a good brother.”  It was a statement, which weighed heavily on Gabriel’s conscience, and he blew off immediately.

“Yeah, if I was such a good brother we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“That’s untrue, but believe what you may.  Last night, he was very persistent that we see much more of each other.  I‘ll do my best to lighten the burden on you, Gabriel.” Balthazar opened the door, and made an audible gagging noise. “I believe I need to open all the bloody windows.”

\-------------

On the drive back, each and every time Cas tried to speak with him, Gabriel cut him off.  He drowned him out by the sound of the music.  He kept Meg in the front seat, and his brother in the back.

Hopefully, if she was in her last days of her heat, she wouldn’t have another spell of ‘uncontrolled whore’ until he dumped them off at her apartment.  She seemed docile enough, even though the looks she gave him were as obvious as ever.  Her scent was strangely apologetic.

Which confirmed, in his mind, that the impromptu trip to see Balthazar was all Cas’ idea.

And he’d sedated Meg along for the ride.

Which was what he was probably trying to explain, the whole way back.

But Gabriel didn’t want to hear about it.

Especially in the last five minutes, when he heard Cas ring up some fucking dealer and tell them they’d be arriving at Meg’s shortly.

His little brother couldn’t even go this long without some kind of a hit.

Obviously, he eavesdropped when Meg asked over her shoulder, “What are we getting, Clarence?”

“Exactly what you need right now, babe.”

“Hmm, okay.”  She turned to face the road again, a devilish smirk on her face and interest spiking in her scent.  “You treat me so good.”

Shit.

Now, there was a frustration that turned into rage in the blink of an eye, because Gabriel knew for a _fact_ that Meg’s drug of choice was heroin.  And now, bubbling to the surface, were thoughts of Sam, and fuckers _like this_ , who he was _enabling_ , and this was a goddamn wake up call.  This _wasn’t_ all right, none of this was right and—

“Gabriel?”  Castiel’s voice was concerned, and so loud he could hear him over the dumb Top 40’s station playing a pop song.

But the alpha’s jaw was locked, and his knuckles were turning white on the steering wheel.

He had to ignore him.

“Gabe?”  Meg’s voice was just as grating, if not more so. “If you’re not going to tell us where this alpha fury is coming from, at least undo the fuckin’ child lock so I can roll down the window.  Jesus, it smells.”

“Hah!”  He jerked around to face the omega. “Don’t even get me _started_ on what fucking smells, Meg.  Because your slut vagina will be stinking up my fuckin’ car for the next goddamn _week_ because you idiots went on a field trip, and apparently don’t have friends who give a fuck about you and leave you high and dry in the morning!  How’s _that_ , for smelling?”

“Wow, tell your brother not to be such an asshole,” Meg pitched over her shoulder. “It’s not my fault, I was perfectly fine staying home—”

“You know what?  I don’t give a fuck who’s fault it is, it’s just another day in the life of cleaning up your shit.”  His voice dropped to a dangerous tone, as he pulled into the apartment complex.  “Get out.”

The omega rolled her eyes, and did what he said, stomping her way towards the building, but Cas was lingering and still trying to talk.  He went as far as to reach out from the back seat and turn off the radio.

“Gabe, I’m sorry, all right?  I thought we’d have a ride home, I didn’t account for—”

“I’ve got no problem picking you up when you’re in a shitty place.” Gabriel wouldn’t meet his gaze and tried to chose his words deliberately.  “But plotting the _next_ shitty place for me to save you from, while I’m in the process of getting you out of the _current_ shitty place?  Fuck you.”

“That’s not—”

“Get out.”

“Gabriel, listen to me I—”

“Cas, _get the fuck out_.”

It didn’t matter that he could scent sorrow on his brother, because even guilt wasn’t going to affect Cas’ decision to shoot up the second their dealer got there.  Castiel’s movements were slow, like he thought Gabriel would try to stop him, try to talk, but there was nothing to talk about.  Even in the midst of the week he thought he wouldn’t have to worry about him, Cas _still_ managed to find a way to royally fuck up.

Gabriel was questioning everything.

Was he doing the right thing?

Should he change his approach to tough love?

What the fuck was he _supposed_ to do?

When the door slowly closed and he watched Cas follow Meg towards the rundown apartment with his tail between his legs, Gabriel didn’t know how to feel.  He was still just as rigid as before, still as angry as before, and had no idea what to do about it.

So, he did all he could.

Which was shift the car into reverse, and get the hell out of there.  He didn’t have much time at all to get ready for work.

\-------------------

Gabriel had up and left right away to get his dick of a brother, he’d missed taking his blockers that came in the form of a pill.  So he had to spray himself down with some half-assed shit when he went to work.  It hadn’t mattered if Meg and Cas scented him—they’d known him before—but when it came to flying under the radar at the strip club, going without any kind of blocker wouldn’t do.

Thankfully, he had a shitty form of back-up because that’s what everything today (minus the morning) was.

Shitty.

Still, he worked his ass off for tips and didn’t mind the few shots his co-worker would slip him, because they had this unspoken language.  Although they didn’t know much about each other, they knew how to work together and when the other was having a bad day.  And it was Zeke he was working with, who was loads better than Hannah.

By the end of the night, he was pretty tipsy.

But all was well, because it was a Monday, and there wasn’t much you could fuck up on a Monday.  In fact, he probably made better tips this way, because his form of stowing his crap was putting on a good face, and tonight he knew it was over the top.

And on nights like this?

After shit with Cas usually went down?

His next move was to go home with one of the hot chicks who was eyeing him while he worked.  Or hit up an after-hours bar and get laid.

But now?

There was _Sam_.

And he couldn’t do that to him.

Even though they were new, Gabriel liked (maybe too much) the concept of a ‘them.’

And, although he was in the mood to desperately let off some steam, that wasn’t an option anymore.  When last call ended, and he and Zeke finished up cashing people out, his co-worker pulled a bottle from the stash and handed it to Gabriel without a word.  So he took the lid off, and chugged.

When he handed it back, he was surprised that Zeke took a shot as well, but it probably had more to do with the fact that their boss wasn’t there and they could get away with it.  By now,  Gabriel was riding that line between tipsy and drunk, and knew he’d have to get a fucking cab.  Because he wasn’t an idiot like his brother and he was responsible, thank you very much.

“Anything you want to talk about?”  Zeke mused, before he handed the bottle back to Gabriel.

“Just the usual family problems,” he shrugged it off like it was nothing.  “And now I must stew in my inner turmoil.”

The other alpha chuckled, and then raised an eyebrow. “I noticed you weren’t in the market for any ‘dates’ tonight.”  When Gabriel didn’t respond, he pressed further. “Even though I saw with my own eyes you got a few phone numbers.”

“Yeah.  Well.”

“I’m here to listen.” Zeke watched as Gabriel took another shot. “Or to give you a ride home.  But it will truly surprise me if you go home alone.  I‘ve known you for a while, Richard.”

Gabriel had to laugh at both the name and the accusation, because life was so fucking ironic—that last statement of Zeke’s just summed it all right up.

“Yer right.  I don’t wanna go home.”  He pursed his lips together in a firm line and thought about it for a second.  “Yer _totally_ right.”

And suddenly, it sounded like a brilliant idea to go anywhere _but_ home.

He didn’t want to look at his phone, in fear that his brother had texted him.  He wasn’t going to respond.  And even looking at the messages that he knew for a fact were there would make him even angrier.  So, he took another (obscenely large) chug from the bottle and turned to Zeke. “Let’s close up, get our stuff, and then you said you wouldn’t mind giving me a ride somewhere?”

“Not at all.”  While he squinted, and looked a bit confused. “We can be on our way now.”

\-----------

Sam wasn’t asleep, but he was nodding off in front of his computer when he heard a knock at the door.  It scared the crap out of him, and he flipped upward (and nearly backwards) so hard he almost fell out of his chair.  At first, he thought he may have imagined it, but after the second time it sounded, along with a quirky rhythm, he glanced at the time to see it was coming up on three a.m.

He had an idea when he stood up, but what didn’t make sense was the fact that he’d texted this ‘idea’ a few times throughout the day, with no response back.

So why was he here?

When he finally opened the door, and his suspicions were confirmed, he was about to laugh and say ‘come on in,’ but Gabriel did that all by himself.

He also grabbed Sam by the collar and hauled him down into a kiss.

Which tasted more like _whiskey_ than Gabriel.

Sam gently pushed him away and started noticing things, one by one.

He was drunk.  He’d come from work, and his scent was all kinds of messed up.  The fact that he _could_ scent things in the first place was the initial indicator that things weren’t all right, and underneath the scent of the bar and the fading blockers he could scent alpha, a familial alpha, and an omega in heat.  Which had Sam’s own alpha reeling.

“Gabe.  What’s going on?”

“Wanted to see ya, Sasquatch, that’s what’s going on.”  He had a mischievous grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.  “I didn’t wake ya, did I?”

“N-no, but—”

“Good!”  He clapped his hands, and then tried again to make a move to Sam’s lips.

“Hey, hey, can we talk?” Trying to grab Gabe’s wrists was hard, but he managed to haul him over to the couch because there were two million questions on the tip of his tongue, and he wasn’t going to let Gabriel distract him.  “What’s wrong?”

“Uh—” His back hit the couch and jarred him for a second. “Besides the fact we’re not making out, right the fuck now?”

“Yeah, besides that.” Sam narrowed his eyes in a challenge. “Your scent’s all fucked up.  And I can kind of scent _you_ , but it’s not _just_ you, it’s—”

“Scents from the bar, you know the drill.”  Gabriel shook it off with a huff. “Were you doing something important?  Want me to take a hike?”

“No, I want you to tell me what’s going on!”  He suddenly snapped, because he couldn’t deal with it anymore.

Then, something inside Gabriel did, too.

“Huh.”  He huffed out in dry amusement. “What’s going on is I had a really shitty day.  And I‘m breaking my previous cycles of getting hammered and finding a one night stand, to getting hammered and seeing you.  But if you think my belligerent new life choice is a bad move, I can see myself out—”

“Stop!”  Sam had to physically drag Gabriel back down to the couch, because the alpha was more intoxicated than he realized.  “Jesus!  I want you here, but I want you to talk to me.”

“Can’t.”  He shook his head in a very deliberate way. “Talk.  Can stay, can’t talk.”

Sam’s anxiety was spiking, because now he felt a strange kind of helplessness along with his initial frustration.  So he sat there, in a staring match with Gabriel, but the alpha wasn’t giving him anything to work with, nothing at all.  And after the day he had...Sam had some crap to deal with in his day, too, but he wasn’t acting like Gabriel was right now.  What the hell did he do?

“I don’t get it,” Sam finally settled on.  “Why you can’t talk to me.  Did you just come here to hook up?  Take your aggression out on me?  Instead of some random chick like you usually do?  That’s a knothead move, Gabe.  I thought maybe you wanted something more, but you weren’t joking about the late night booty calls.”  He scrubbed a hand down his face, and hung his head.  “If this—”

“Shit—” the alpha cursed to himself and huffed out, “that’s not— _fuck_.  That’s _not_ what I, I just—” his scent was changing erratically by the second. “I didn’t want to be alone.  Not like _that_.  I wanted to see you, I...fucked this up royally.  Godammit.”

“Yeah, yeah, you kind of did,” Sam nodded.  “Feel free to crash on the couch.  It’s getting late, I’ll—”

“ _Wait_.” He was trying to come up with some way to salvage this.  “Just…give me five minutes.”

The look on Sam’s face was confusion as Gabriel didn’t wait for an answer and went right for the bathroom.

Now Sam was even more bewildered.  And he wasn’t about to wait around.  He sighed heavily as he moved around to his laptop and saved the document he was working on. Then he noticed the shower was running.  Whatever Gabriel’s plan was, the younger alpha wasn’t sure he cared.

He turned his computer off and went to his room.

Either Gabriel would take the hint, or he wouldn’t.

Sam changed into his pajamas and turned off the light as he shut the door behind him.  Muscle memory walked him to the edge of his bed and crawled under the sheets right around the time the shower turned off.  He felt so fucking defeated, in this moment.  Maybe he should have taken the hint, after Brady—maybe he _was_ right and—

He could hear footsteps in the hallway and, apparently, a shut door meant nothing to the other alpha.

If he was being honest, Sam thought he would have read the message loud and clear and slept on the couch.  But as soon as Gabriel walked into the room he was glad the other man was a stubborn asshole and didn’t.

It took a good amount of control to keep himself in bed, because the scent that filled the room was pure Gabriel...true alpha.

It was a genuine apology, written out more clearly than words could ever say.  He was telling Sam he’d been mistaken, he wanted to be here with him, because he _cared_ , not because he—

His scent was _overwhelming_ and it was in this moment he knew why Gabriel needed the blockers.  Why he’d shied away when Sam asked if he’d forgo them, just for a night, for him.  And why the hell was it the most amazing thing Sam had ever scented in his life.  Alphas weren’t supposed to like the scent of other alphas, let alone _this much_.  It was addicting, it was—

“Sam,” the voice was right by the edge of his bed, and he had no idea when he’d gotten so close.  “I fucked up.  I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking…I was acting and all I could think about was seeing you—”

It was so hard to keep his resolve.

In fact, the second Gabriel reached out for his hand, it completely _shattered_ into a million pieces.

Sam relented and pulled him alongside him, into the bed.  He couldn’t control his body when he nestled his nose against Gabriel’s neck and scented him—truly scented him.  Jesus, _why_ was it so perfect?  Even laced with alcohol, the potency and sharp edge of true alpha held something metaphorically sweet, in Sam’s senses.

Gabriel shivered at the contact, and it was then Sam realized the alpha was still above the covers, that he had desperately grappled out for the scent, leaving the rest of Gabriel behind.  But the shiver wasn’t due to the fact that Gabriel had basically leapt from the shower, barely drying himself off and still naked in the chilly room; it was the possessive and eager way Sam was going at his neck.

Neither was sure what to do next.  However, Sam was pretty damn sure he was scent-drunk right now.  And that had _never_ happened.

He still had to remind himself not to let his guard down.

While his voice was uneven, he had to ask, “What happened?  Give me something.”

Gabriel’s breaths were a bit labored by all the attention Sam was giving the column of his throat, but he owed him _something_. “Someone…close to me keeps getting in trouble.  And while I‘m always the one to get ‘em out of it, I don‘t know if I can do it anymore.”

There was a still moment in time where neither of them moved.

Gabriel didn’t know if he said too much, or there’d be a demand for more, because he couldn’t give up anymore than that.  But he didn’t want to give up Sam, either.

Finally, the mattress shifted and the blankets were tugged on in such a way that Gabriel found himself underneath them.  Pressed up against the other alpha.  And he let out a sigh of relief.

“Don’t do this again.” Sam’s words were equal parts plea and orders.  “Even if you don’t wanna talk just…don’t do _this_.”

“I’m a jackass, I know—” but then Gabriel had to ask the question he’d been wondering since Sam had grabbed him.  “It doesn’t freak you out?”

“What?”  He asked, as they shifted around to find a more comfortable position.

“My scent.”  Gabriel wasn’t even sure how it was a question, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d gone without blockers, it must have—

“It’s perfect.”  The words fell from Sam’s lips without a moment of hesitation.  He had the feeling he couldn’t lie, even if he wanted to.  “I don’t like that you’ve gotta cover it up.”

So what, if Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat?

Previously, he’d used his scent to intimidate people, posturing without having to lift a finger, without even trying.  And Sam was not only _unafraid_ , but confessing he liked it?  Maybe _more_?  Gabriel’s mind was still awash with whiskey, but he knew his bafflement was true.

So, he swallowed and couldn’t contain his smile, when he said, “If I haven’t completely, one-hundred percent fucked everything up, I’ll see what I can do about keeping it ‘uncovered’ around you, kay?”

“Yeah?”  Suddenly, it wasn’t Sam’s nose brushing his neck, it was his lips. “You owe me.  Again.”

“I do.”  Gabriel was having a very, very hard time keeping it together, but the way they resituated and tangled together was a sign of sleep, not instigating sex.  So, instead, he promised, “I’ll make it up to you.”

Sam moved one more time, for one, single chaste kiss, before he collapsed into the mattress, already half asleep, mumbling something that sounded an awful lot like, “Good, need you,” and then he was gone.

Finally, Gabriel’s body released some of the tension he hadn’t even realized had made his form go rigid.  He really had almost fucked up so badly—but he was here, right where he was supposed to be.

A part of him knew this was _exactly_ where he was supposed to be.

He hoped Sam didn’t regret it in the morning, didn’t change his mind when he realized what a goddamn idiot Gabriel had been, or freaked out once his alert brain took in the _real_ notes of his scent.

Although normally he wouldn’t give a fuck, he gave _too many_ fucks when it came to Sam.  And then something he noticed that never happened.  In the midst of giving Sam what he wanted, of letting the younger alpha scent him openly, Gabriel himself had unknowingly been moved into the role of the little spoon.

Well, he could chalk this up as another way he was making it up to Sam, and call it a night.  


	8. Chapter Seven

The same thing that lulled Sam into one of the best night’s sleep he’s had in awhile, was the same thing that roused him—just as slowly—awake.  His face was still nestled against Gabriel’s neck, and he's overwhelmed by a strange kind of serenity and feeling rested and relaxed because…it’s his _scent_.  And it’s even better than last night.

But…Sam didn’t understand how that’s possible.

This time was different because it’s not laced with desperation and alcohol?  Now that it’s unclouded?  Pure?  Sam was trying to analyze what ‘it’ was.

Maybe because it’s so unique, maybe because he’d never scented anything like it before, it’s merely a curiosity but— _no_.  All that was bullshit he’d made up in his head, because the black and the white of the situation was he’d never scented anything this _amazing_ before.

And his morning wood agreed with him.

He would have groaned, but he didn’t want to wake the other alpha.

Although it was only bits and pieces, he’d never seen nor expected to see Gabriel like that before.  As such a mess, at such a low, and Sam knew he would (more than likely) freak out about it when he woke up.

Moral of the story, Gabriel needed his sleep.

Whatever problems he’d had that lead him to the state he was in the previous night, to drink himself stupid, he needed to sleep it off.

Luckily, it had been _Sam_ who’d wrapped himself around Gabriel, so it was easier to unravel his limbs and quietly make his way out of the room.

His nose lead him to the bathroom, where the alpha had thrown his clothes off to shower, in a last ditch effort to fix things with Sam.  He had to admit, as he leaned in the doorway, he was _impressed_ and kind of wished he had been a fly on the wall to watch the scene unfold.  Because Gabriel's work clothes weren’t just on the floor.  There was a shirt in the sink, his pants were on the complete other side of the room and, yep, that was a sock in the toilet.

With a roll of his eyes, Sam gathered the clothing and took it upon himself to wash them, but as he was carrying the wad, he felt a tell-tale heaviness in the pocket of the jeans.  Which he knew was his phone.  He pulled out Gabriel’s wallet and cell, along with some random change, to sit out on the flat surface of the dryer, before tossing the fabrics in the washing machine and adding detergent.

He couldn’t help but look back and forth between the phone on the off-white lid next to the machine currently humming to life and his exit path.  Finally, he decided to say fuck it and pressed the button from where it sat on the drier.  When he clicked the phone on, it was to see a screen presenting a grand total of 27 messages and more missed calls than that.  Sam knew for a fact, he was only three of those messages.

Fuck.

He kept staring at it like it was the enemy, because it _really_ was.

Gabriel said he couldn’t talk about it.  Those were his exact words from last night.

But what if Sam _read_ about it?

He deserved answers, didn’t he?

It’s not like Gabriel hadn’t gone through all of his shit before.  Digging through his pants, and basically pick-pocketing his ID to find out he was a minor.

It was so tempting because he—

Fuck it.

He picked it up.

Sam was washing the fucker’s clothes, dealt with him showing up drunk on his doorstep, ready for a quick hook-up because ’he couldn’t go home with other people now,’ and _still_ let him sleep in bed with him, fuckin’ spooning and the whole nine.  He deserved more than this, even.

He flipped through the messages, and they were all from one contact— _BB_.

The hell was that?

But one text after the other were apologizes.  ‘Sorry’ written in every way you could approach it, saying they wouldn’t bother him, and they understood why he was so upset.  But they wanted to talk.  They needed to make sure they (Gabriel and this _unknown_ ) were all right.  And someone named Meg was sorry about his…car smelling like pussy?  What the _hell_?  Other things almost seemed as though they were written in code, things only Gabriel must have understood, but whoever this BB was?  Was… _strange_.  Their way of speaking, the closeness of their relationship was obvious and it left Sam feeling unhinged.

Maybe he shouldn’t have read through these.

He noticed the battery was almost dead, so set the phone out, turned up the brightness and let it eat away at itself.

Sam…didn’t want to talk about what he read, because maybe now he felt a little guilty.

But if Gabriel’s phone was dead, he wouldn’t know until he got home to charge it that the messages had been ‘read.’  Even then, he would probably chalk it up to his drunken brain the night before.  Or, if he approached Sam, he’d admit it.  Doesn’t mean he was about to ask about who ‘BB’ was...yet.

He sighed, and as soon as he watched the screen of the flip phone blink to black, he walked back into the kitchen.

Although his stomach wasn’t growling quite yet, he was in need of some coffee and a shower.

Who knew when Gabriel would be up, but at least he knew he wasn’t going anywhere fast without his clothes.

Sam had made sure of that.

\---------------

For the first time, it’s Gabriel who woke up alone in Sam’s bed.

With a throbbing headache.

And then, all the events from the previous day— _then_ the previous _night_ —come back hard enough to knock the air from his lungs.  Shit, how had his intoxicated brain possibly thought what he did was all right?  Not only was he a drunk idiot, he was treating Sam like the outlet to all his problems.  Problems he had promised himself to keep locked away.

And now?

Who knew if Sam even wanted to deal with him anymore.

If the empty room was a sign of anything.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to retrace his steps.

Dammit.   
  
He was trapped, naked, in Sam’s bedroom.  Because he’d left all his damned clothes in the bathroom in a last ditch effort to do…who _knows_ what the hell he was trying to do.  He’d have to run, make a break, buck ass naked, across the hall, because if that wasn’t a sprint of shame, he didn’t know what was.

Before he could even get the balls to do it, the door to the room swung open, and Sam was walking back in.  The alpha was freshly showered, still wearing his pajamas, with a cup of coffee he carefully set on the edge of the nightstand—closest to Gabriel.

Their eyes were locked, as though they were waiting for the other to break the ice.

It wasn’t awkward.

It was _terrifying_.

And Gabriel wished to God he still had his blockers as a back up, but nope.  Here he was.  Literally laid bare, in every definition of the words.

Fuckin’ naked under the covers, while his scent was out and proud for the other alpha to analyze and his undeniable nerves showing through a scent he always concealed.

Nerves he wasn’t supposed to have.

He was supposed to be confident, dammit.  He was supposed to be untouchable, and he couldn’t remember being more unsure of anything in his life.  So, he slowly reached out to the cup of coffee, as a reprieve, of sorts, to duck out of the staring contest.

That’s when something interesting happened.

Sam moved back to the bed, and sat on the edge, reaching out for Gabriel rather than pushing him away.  And now, the coffee was out of reach.  Which made him feel weird all over again.

“Hey.”

It was simple enough.

“Hey.” Gabriel had to clear his throat, which was dry from the hangover and disuse.  “’m sorry about last night, I’ll get outta your hair—”

And when he made a motion to leave, Sam pushed him back down.

But he didn’t just push him back down, he pinned him to the bed and refused to look away.  Like he was staring right into his goddamn soul.

Which was equal parts disconcerting _and_ arousing.

“Can’t,” Sam said, as way of explanation with a grin on his face.  “I’m washing your clothes.  They reek.”

Of all things Gabriel could have expected Sam to say, that was not one of them.  Along with the smirk—why was Sam showing him any kind of positive _anything_?  He was baffled.

“You’re…doing my _laundry_ …?”

“Hey, you were the one to call me OCD before,”  Sam reminded and he was teasing, not enraged (as Gabriel thought) or even friggin' upset in the least.  “It wasn’t just strip club stench, there was ‘pissed off Gabe’ all over ‘em and I didn’t like it.”

“Yeah, I know, notta good look.”

It was then that an errant drop of water from Sam’s towel-dried hair dripped down and splashed on Gabriel’s cheek.  It tickled, and when he made a move to wipe it away, he realized his arms were still pinned down by Sam’s.  And it was a very good thing he was still under the covers, and the other alpha was hovering overtop, because there was an even better possibility his cock was stirring under the blankets.

Especially, because of the scrutiny of Sam’s gaze.  And the way he ducked down to scent him again.

All right, yeah, this was leading into dangerous territory, because now lips were brushing against Gabriel’s neck, and one of his worries was dispelled.  The one about Sam freaking out about the ‘true alpha’ part of him in the morning.  Because he seemed just as into it as he did the previous night, his lips brushing (unconsciously or not) against his tender skin.

And it wasn’t fair.

Whatever this game was.

Because Gabriel hadn’t a clue what his boundaries were, because he was in the wrong, he’d been the one to mess up.  Could he break free of Sam’s grasp?  Could he haul him closer?  He was governed by Sam’s rules, who didn’t seem eager to share with the class.

But one thing he knew—his clothes were in the wash.

Which was going to take time to complete.

So he was stuck here for a hot sec.

Which meant Sam _wanted_ to be with him while he was stuck.

These were all good signs.  Right?

And the second Sam’s feather-soft touch turned more aggressive, and he sucked the skin of Gabriel’s neck in-between his teeth, was the second Gabriel couldn’t hold still anymore.

He easily ripped from Sam’s grip, and his fingers reached up to touch the mark, as Sam announced, “We’re even.  Since you didn’t ask me last time.”

Then, he snapped.

It was easy enough to wrangle Sam, despite his long limbs and larger frame, back under the covers with him, then pin him down similar to the way he’d tried with Gabriel.

But when Gabriel was trying to restrain someone, he was much, _much_ more effective.

Sam gasped when he found himself on his back, the scent of arousal in the air and Gabriel hovering barely out of range.

“Are you being a tease, right now?”  Gabriel asked, raising an eyebrow, looking at him in that predatory way.  “Because, I gotta say, you marking me up is going straight to my dick.  Not nice to play games like that.  ‘Specially when you’re holding my clothes for ransom.”

With a shiver, Sam could barely answer, “Maybe.  Maybe not,” while his eyes were glued to Gabriel’s lips and the lust in the air was overwhelming him.

So maybe Sam was teasing a little, but it was to get a rise out of the other alpha.  In a way, he had won.  The knowledge he was addicted to Gabriel’s scent already was doing all kinds of things to him, making him stupid and needing—no matter how frustrated he may have been with Gabriel the night before.  Sam found himself drowning in this tornado of amusement, hunger with a hint of possession while the rest of the world fell away.

“Jesus,” Gabriel cursed under his breath, as he ducked forward and licked a strip from Sam’s collarbone to his ear, “You smell _fantastic_ …”

Sam couldn’t keep his hips still, as they arched off the bed and ground against Gabriel’s already hard cock.  Although his arms may be pinned down, his lower body was free to move, and hearing Gabe moan at the contact was music to his ears.

“You’re gonna kill me,” he nipped his collarbone sharply.  “You’re in for it now—”

Gabriel only let go of Sam’s arms to rip his t-shirt away with a ridiculous amount of efficiency and speed, and his pants and boxers followed right behind it.  After that, he didn’t feel the need to hold him down anymore, because it was much more urgent that he had a hand tangled in the hair at the base of Sam’s head, while the other was wandering down his body.

And their lips finally found each other.

It was _crucial_ —their bodies were telling them, nothing like early morning sweet make-outs or languid messing around—no, this was as though something, from way back when, had broken in two, and there was a desperate need for _them_ to come back together.  To come back to _each other_.  It was the most urgent feeling in the world—like they’d been searching, like they’d been waiting.  Something just clicked in an intagenable, unexplainable way.

It wasn’t drunken, horny and sloppy, it wasn’t exploring.  It was finding and discovering one another in the best way possible.

And as scary as it was, neither gave a shit.

Their hips were moving together, the friction between their pelvis’ the runner up to this crazy desire of feeling grappling hands, connecting with their mouths, and pressing their bodies together.  That didn’t mean that when Gabriel shifted their position, just a little, in the midst of the electricity flying between them, and their cocks were lined up, either complained—things intensified.   Now that they were rutting together, breathy moans joined the mix and echoed through the room.

As well as some curse words Sam whimpered into Gabriel’s mouth, as he spilled cum between their stomachs.  The added slip and easy glide of Sam’s release stimulated Gabriel’s forming knot in just the right way, and he was cumming right after him.

Even though they were both severely lacking oxygen, Gabriel couldn’t help but continue lightly mouthing at Sam’s neck.  The scent was new—it wasn’t just satisfied alpha.  There was _more_ to it…but he wasn’t going to allow himself to get his hopes up.

He wasn’t going to pull away, either.

Even though this was new.

Fuck, he didn’t even remember having this much chemistry with Kali—and it was petrifying, in a way.

Because he had been ready to _mate_ with her…

He refused to let that thought linger, because Sam smelled too amazing, too fucking perfect, and if Gabriel’s own scent changed, he was worried it’d trigger a domino effect and he’d lose this piece of Sam.

“That was…” Sam was still panting a little.  “Intense.  And…I don’t know why.”

Leave it to the younger alpha to say what Gabriel was thinking, but didn’t want to think about too hard.

So all he could respond with was, “Yeah, it was.”  And add in, just for the record, “I’m not sure why either, kiddo.”  He almost quipped ‘and embarrassingly fast,’ but held those words back.

Sam laughed, which was when Gabriel decided it to be a good time to move from where he was draped out.  After all, he wasn’t helping Sam catch his breath by weighing down his chest.  Except, when he did, Sam followed him and changed it up, scenting Gabriel instead.

“Do you know why I like your scent so much?  You said you thought it’d freak me out, but it’s kinda the opposite.”  His question tickled a little, and had Gabriel shrugging.

“I really thought it would.  Last night, I thought I’d offer it as an olive branch, because I really was acting like a dumbass.  I never thought you’d get all obsessed with me,” he teased, but finished with a careful, “Then, I kinda thought you were tired and delirious last night, and today would be another story, but it wasn’t.”

“No.  It wasn’t.”

The confirmation hung in the air, and Sam could hear the ‘ding’ noise which told him the wash cycle was finished.

“So after our knots go down, I’ll throw your clothes in the drier, and then you wanna take a shower?”  His voice was almost a whisper, because it was so close to Gabriel’s ear.

But the alpha nodded with a happy smile, not even a devious grin, and replied, “Yeah, I’d like that.”  
  
It sounded as though both of them were dodging the issue of what just happened, which was fine by Gabriel.  It may be too much too soon, but he sure as hell knew what that felt like.  Or, what they said it felt like.  No, it was still too early, way too early to talk about it, to analyze it—even though he _knew_ they both felt the same thing.  But a shower and clean clothes?  That was something they could handle.  Something much less life-changing than broaching the other subject.

\----------------

Despite the chaos of the previous night, it was a mutual understanding between the two alphas they were going to chalk it up to a stupid, isolated incident and forget about it.  Gabriel was thankful Sam was willing to do that, because he still felt like a piece of shit.

But as the morning progressed into early afternoon, everything was strangely domestic.  They showered together, ate breakfast (Gabriel wearing a ridiculously too-large shirt of Sam’s and boxer briefs that barely stayed up) and when Gabriel’s clothes were dry, he went to change in the other room.

It was right around that time that there was a knock on the door.

Which confused Sam, because he honestly had no idea who the hell would be visiting him now.  He looked at the time to see it was a little before one o‘clock, and curiously made his way towards the knocking.

When he opened the door, it was to a sheepish Brady, who was looking at him with a strange expression.

“Hey, Sam.  Can, uh, I come in?”

With his eyes narrowed, he asked, “Why?  So you can give me more crap?  Because I really don’t want you to ruin my fucking day again.”

“No, no,” he was quick with his words and his gestures, “the opposite, actually.  I wanted to apologize.”

With a brow quirked, Sam opened the door and let his friend in with a bit of wariness.

Brady headed right to the chair in the living room, his body language rigid, and he let out an uneasy exhale.  Sam followed him to the couch, and couldn’t help being a bit defensive, crossing his arms and waiting.

“So, I guess after I left yesterday and cooled down, I realized what an asshole I was and I’m sorry.  I don’t know why I said those things, I—” then he stopped and looked around. “ _Dude_ , what’s that _scent_?”

“What’s what scent?”  Sam’s face showed confusion, especially because it looked like Brady’s nervousness had increased, ten fold.

“Are you _kidding_?”  He asked with wide eyes, “It’s—”

“Oh, shit, am I interrupting something?”  Gabriel asked as he rounded the corner, now dressed in his clean clothes and taking stock of the situation in front of him.

“Holy shit.”  Brady was visibly pale, and stuttered out his words.  “ _You’re_ a true alpha?”

“Yep,” Gabriel snapped his fingers, “def interrupting something,” he looked at Sam and asked, “Do you want me to go, or—?”

“No, you stay here.  What Brady has to say, he can say to both of us,” Sam’s voice was almost challenging, as he reached out to take Gabriel’s hand and tug him down next to him on the couch.  “You were saying?”

It looked as though Brady had to shut down his brain, and start it up again, the scent of submission and almost…fear? in the air.  Which intrigued Sam, because was this supposed to be what his reaction to Gabriel without blockers was?  Why was Sam’s the complete opposite?  He kept Gabriel’s hand in his, and squeezed it lightly as they waited.

“Can I ask what’s going on here, at least?”  Gabriel loathed awkward silences.

Not to mention, all day he’d been scenting Sam’s contentment and now it was borderline aggression.  Directed towards the man in front of him.  Gabriel wasn’t about to posture at all, because it already looked like the dude was terrified of him.  And to be honest?  While there wasn’t anyone else he’d love to use his influence to scare the piss out of, someone else knowing he was a true alpha?

That was a no-go.

This was an accident he wished he could have _avoided_.

“Brady and I got into a fight yesterday, and he stopped by to apologize,” Sam explained to Gabriel in a monotone way, his eyes never leaving his friend.

“About what?”  He turned his question towards Brady, too.

Finally, the other man admitted, “I was teasing Sam about the two of you yesterday, and when he told me you were an alpha I wasn’t thinking and blurted out some jackass shit that I didn’t mean.  I was having a bad day, and I took it out on you, but I need you to know I’m sorry and I didn’t mean it,” he took in a deep breath, honesty weaving into his tone.  “Obviously, you two are good for each other and it doesn’t matter you’re both alphas.  I was word vomiting stupid shit, when I should have been thinking about you, Sam, my _friend_.  And what makes you happy.  And fuck the rest.  If he makes you happy, that’s all that matters, right?”

While Sam’s scent was beginning to calm down, Gabriel’s was starting to get riled up, and even Sam knew that _wasn’t_ a good thing.  So he knew he had to speak quickly, or else who knows what was gonna happen.

“Thanks,” Sam admitted earnestly, then huffed sharply, “I’m glad you came by to say that.  And although I don’t need your permission, I appreciate your apology.  ‘Cause even though he can be a jerk, he does make me happy,” he finished with an elbow to Gabriel’s side, hoping to snap him out of it.

Which it did, because Gabriel snorted and looked over to catch Sam’s smile.  Which immediately disarmed any ‘big bad alpha’ attacks on the horizon.  “Shit, Moose, you had a double-asshole day yesterday, didn’t you?”

“Today’s better.  ‘Cause the assholes are making it up to me,” he glances at Brady, “I think.”

“Yeah,” Brady was smiling, but resolutely not looking at Gabriel.

Another sign of submission.

Which made Sam feel ridiculously out of the loop, again.

“All right,” he nodded slowly. “I think I need a day to myself.  But we can pick up where we left off tomorrow, if that works for you?”

“Sounds perfect,” Brady confirmed, and then added in, “since you already helped me out that _other_ night I was an asshole, I’ll move ahead in the curriculum today for us.”

“You don’t have to—”

“But I _want_ to.  I’ve been a terrible friend.  Let me do this?”  He urged, and for some reason, Sam had a feeling he wouldn’t be going this far if Gabriel wasn’t by his side.

So, why not?

“All right.  I’ll text you about what time tomorrow we can work.”  Sam stood up, cueing Brady that he was seeing him off.  “And thanks.”

His smile was tight as he waved to Gabriel and said, “Good to see you again!” just because he knew he was obligated, but then left as quickly as he could.

When Sam shut the door behind him, his eyes looked curiously at the other alpha. “Is that what you thought I’d be like?”

With a shrug, and then a nod, Gabriel responded, “That’s the usual.  But, apparently, you’re one of a kind.  Immune to my prowess.”  He got up from the couch and crossed the space to take Sam’s hands in to his own.  “Which is why I wear blockers.  And that’s why I need to take off, because that’s _one too many_ people who know I’m a true alpha.”

“Shit, I’m sorry, I had no idea he was coming over, he—”

“What did he say?”  Gabriel tilted his head to the side, “Because even before I came into the room, that was some hardcore suck-up-age.”

“Point is, he took it back,” Sam shrugged, wanting to avoid the situation all together.  “Doesn’t matter.”

“Yes.  It does.  I may have been drunk, but I remember you were upset about something last night, too.”  The way his eyes were locked into Sam’s left no room for skirting around the issue.

“Just freaked out on me when he found out you weren’t an omega or beta.  Said it was wrong.  Unnatural.  That kinda shit,” he shrugged his shoulders, trying to brush it off because he hated saying the words out loud.  “But like you said.  Hardcore suck-up-age.  And you could scent him, he meant it.”

“Or, he didn’t want me to rip his throat out,” Gabriel said in a false-sweet tone.  “There’s that.”

Sam started laughing and shook his head, “I can’t imagine you ripping anyone’s throat out, Gabe.  You’re harmless.”

That word was equal parts irony and success for Gabriel.  He was keeping up his façade.  To the person he was seeing the most—to the person he was letting see the deeper side of him the most.  Gabriel never wanted Sam to bear witness to the other side of the coin, and saying Gabriel was harmless couldn’t be further from the truth, but it was a nicety he was more than willing to play up.

“Yeah, you’re right.”  He let go of Sam’s hands to grab his jacket and had to ask, “Did you believe him yesterday?”

“No way,” with a shake of his head and a laugh at the mere thought of believing Brady’s words, Sam had to add, “I told you, over and over.  You being an alpha doesn’t mean anything.  And I’ll be happy when you believe it.  ‘Cause now you’re making me wonder if it’s you who’s doubting it.”

“ _Me_?” Gabriel gestured to himself with his thumb. “Hell fuckin’ no.  You’re crazy,” he grabbed Sam and pulled him in for a kiss.  “But new rule.  If I hold off the blockers?  Gotta be on my turf.  Can’t have that happening again.  Don’t want to scare off your entire social circle and or family.  That’d kinda be a buzzkill to our relationship.”

Sam didn’t open his eyes after Gabriel kissed him, because he was nervous to face him when he asked, “Is this a relationship?”

The pause that followed made him anxious, but the kiss that finished, along with the words, “If you’re game, I’m game,” made him open his eyes.

He knew he had a stupid grin on his face when he finally faced the other alpha again.  “Yeah.  I’m game.”

“Looks like we’re together, Sasquatch,” Gabriel finished the statement with a smack to Sam’s rear. “Guess my phone died last night, but I’ll text or call you later.”

He had to keep the smile on his face, because it was only then he remembered how he’d gone through Gabriel’s texts, and couldn’t help but feel guilty.  But from here on out, he wouldn’t.  He knew this was a trust thing, and he could handle it.  They needed to start, now, and Sam was ready and willing.

The moment of hesitation lead Gabriel to kiss him, one more time, before announcing, “I’m headed out!  Talk soon.”

“Yep, I’ll be here,” Sam confirmed and opened the door, once more.  “Have fun at work.  Try not to get too drunk this time.”

“Hah hah,” Gabriel rolled his eyes, “but for real, that won’t happen again.  I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

With a wink, he was turning the corner down the hall and gone.  Sam lingered a little while after, playing back the morning and how strange everything had been.  Because that’s the only word he could use to describe it.  Strange.  He sighed and shut the door, feeling the need for a nap creeping up on him.

And if Gabriel’s scent still on the pillow helped him sleep better, he’d keep that to himself.

\----------------

It was only a matter of time until the inevitable harassment began.  Thankfully, he decided to forgo the actual verbal harassment, and went right through to text.

_Dean 8:03pm_  
_soooo does this mystery man have a name?_

_Sam 8:05pm_  
_Yep.  But not one I’m giving you_

_Dean 8:08pm_  
_its not like I even know how to use fb to stalk him bitch_

_Dean 8:09pm_  
_tell me about him for real though_

_Sam 8:11pm_  
_What do you wanna know jerk?_

_Dean 8:14pm_  
_where did you meet him_  
_does he go to school with you_  
_does he have a good job_  
_he’s not a drug addict creeper right_  
_is it serious_  
_?????_

_Sam 8:20pm_  
_Woahhhh want his SSN too?_

_Dean 8:21pm_  
_thatd be good_  
_u will answer every question_  
_or else_

_Sam 8:22pm_  
_Fine_

_Sam 8:35pm_  
_No, he’s not a druggie creep which is the most important thing_  
_I met him at a bar last year, then reconnected when we were out celebrating our school acceptance_  
_No, he’s not a classmate_  
_He’s a bartender_  
_I don’t know if you’d call it serious, but we just labeled it as a relationship today_

_Dean 8:40pm_  
_ahhhh its not just a crush u got a real life bf stfu_  
_come on gab like a girl whats he like_  
_is he a tough guy alpha or more whats that dumb word_  
_metro???_  
_if hes a bartender hes gotta be tough and badass like me right_

_Sam 8:43pm_  
_Why the hell did I ever think it was a good idea to tell you about him_

_Dean 8:44pm_  
_hey!!  cause im supportive_  
_u owe me the info_

_Sam 8:48pm_  
_He’s not metro and he’s not the ‘tough guy alpha’ at all.  He’s hard to explain.  He’s funny, all kinds of outrageous and offensive but he’s sweet although he’d kill me if I ever called him that.  He was worried about me being weird about the alpha thing too.  It’s like everyone but me is concerned about it but I don’t get it.  Maybe he’s protective about me or something.  He’s not a knothead by any means, but he can posture in a way that people don’t realize it until after they’ve submitted, it’s actually kind of hilarious.  He’s just really awesome._

_Dean 8:50pm_  
_im not even gonna make fun of your waxing poetry bc he actually sounds good for u.  next time im in town ive gotta meet him deal?_

_Sam 8:53pm_  
_I honestly don’t know if you’re going to love him or hate him, the two of you have some of the same bad personality traits.  I’d be worried_

_Dean 8:55pm_  
_the fuck is that supposed to mean???!_

_Sam 8:56pm_  
_You’re both loud and obnoxious and have to end every other sentence with a punch line or inappropriate remark._

_Dean 8:59pm_  
_sounds like well get along famously as long as im wittier.  Bc I know I am_

_Sam 9:01pm_  
_That’s exactly what he’d say_

_Dean 9:03pm_  
_dude it sounds like ur dating me_

_Sam 9:03pm_  
_No gross Dean_  
_Besides that, you’re nothing alike, trust me_

_Dean 9:05pm_  
_hope not although at least I know uv got some good taste hahaha_  
_Well shit my little bros all grown up_

_Sam 9:06pm_  
_Yeah yeah.  How are things over there?  How’s Bobby holding up?_

_Dean 9:11pm_  
_it’s a rough go man.  Losing karen hit him hard but ive been able 2 keep things up and running at the salvage yard let him take it 1 day at a time.  b4 u could tell every day he was faking it and putting on a good face but I think hes accepted it and hes doing more work than he used 2 giving me more attitude so hes makin his way back to surly_

_Sam 9:14pm_  
_Surly’s a good sign.  I’m glad you can be there for him, god knows he’s been there for us.  Give him my best, all right?_

_Dean 9:16pm_  
_will do.  Ellen and jo miss u 2 btw asking about u and now Ive got all the gossip to spread ;)_

_Sam 9:18pm_  
_Please don’t?  Can we just keep this between us?  Like I said, it’s new and I just needed your advice.  I don’t want the rest of the world looking at me under a microscope_

_Dean 9:19pm_  
_ok_

_Sam  9:20pm_  
_Okay?  Just like that?_

_Dean 9:22pm_  
_yeah ur right u wanted my advice and this means something to u I won’t be a dick about it_  
_But this is the only time Im giving u a free pass_  
_Cause it does seem like ur into him_

_Sam 9:25pm_  
_“No chick flick moments” but thank you.  Really.  I mean it_

_Dean 9:26pm_  
_just remember ill be there to kick his ass if he ever fucks u over im for real_  
_U tell him I said that_  
_do it not joking_

_Sam 9:28pm_  
_Haha I will.  Only because of the free pass_

_Dean 9:28pm_  
_shit missed a call from ellen looks like im needed at bar talk soon though_  
_Miss ya sammy_

_Sam 9:29pm_  
_Have fun with that and miss you too_  
_Even though you’re a fuckwad with your harassment_

_Dean 9:30pm_  
_shut up u deserve it plus I’m adorable_

_Sam 9:31pm_  
_Stop texting me and get your ass to work_  
_Ellen is gonna punch you_

_Dean 9:32pm_  
_don’t I no it k bye_

\------------

Gabriel didn’t even turn his phone on when it was charging—he didn’t want to look at it.  He didn’t want to see all the texts he knew he had received from Cas, and the only thing that made him activate the fucking piece of shit was to see if Sam had sent him anything.

What he found curious, was that he did have one new text—and it was from Sam.

Telling him that if they wanted to hang out on his free day, he was game.

He thanked God, all over again, that he hadn’t fucked up too badly.

But it was strange, that Sam’s sent around six was the only ‘new’ one on his cellphone.  All the others lacked the ‘new’ notification, but it wouldn’t have surprised Gabriel (with the amount of whiskey in his system) if he’d clicked in and out of them without reading just to get them off the fucking screen.  Now, he was huffing, debating whether or not he wanted to bite the bullet—

Fuck it.

His thumb punched into Cas’ contact and he glanced without really reading the obnoxious amount of apologies.

But Gabriel wasn’t sure he was quite in the mood to forgive.  Yet.

At least none of these contained the ‘dead in a ditch’ message he was always dreading.

Just groveling at his feet.

So he decided to send Cas a text back, so he’d stop with all this bullshit and hopefully take a hint.

_K._

That should suffice.

After all, the more you ignored the alpha, the more he tried to get under your skin and find ways to corner you.  He couldn’t have his brother showing up at the club tonight.  That was a no-go.  Besides, he needed to use his last day of (hopeful) freedom, because today was the last day of Meg’s heat.

After this, who knew what Cas would be doing.  If he’d stay in her good graces or not.

Now that he and Sam had a label—now that this was a relationship—he wasn’t about to let Castiel crash as freely as he used to do in the spare bedroom.  While he didn’t regret their first interaction—with Cas helping him out by disposing of Sam’s tainted drink, and hiding the fact that they were brothers—the fact that Cas was an addict was also something he _had_ to keep away from Sam.  God, did he have to keep his brother hidden from his knowledge.

It sucked, sure, and it wasn’t as though he was ashamed and embarrassed of Castiel (except for times he was high as balls and did stupid things), he was a grown ass man, and made his own choices; it happened to be a subject that hit too close to home when it came to the younger alpha he cared about.  He needed to keep Sam away from it, especially since it was so fresh.  Hell, the kid was only coming up on three years sober, right?

Although he loathed the fact that Brady accidentally stumbled upon the fact he was a true alpha, hopefully that would keep him in line.  Hopefully, that would keep him from harassing Sam and luring him back to the drug scene, which was where he had a gut feeling Brady walked that thin line.  Because none of that shit was all right.

Fuck, was Gabriel being overbearing?

Did this ‘relationship’ thing flip the switch?

He needed to get his shit together, he _couldn’t_ be that alpha.

Especially, because he was with _another_ alpha.

If he had ever tried any of that shit with Kali, she would have punched him in the face.

But Sam…Sam was different.

He wasn’t fueled by alpha aggression or superiority.

He was confident, he was smart, strong and a leader type—but he didn’t have that uncontrollable animal streak some did.  He was the farthest thing from a knothead Gabriel had ever met.  His protective nature was the caring variety, not the possessive kind.  He watched out for people, and God knows the kid could probably fuck someone up in a fight, but he’d rather use his brain before his brawn.

It was something so foreign than the types of alphas Gabriel was used to, and every single thing about Sam was fucking perfect.

Fuck, he had to stop _there_.

Because falling this fast was the last thing he needed to cloud his judgement and risk his flying under the radar.

The kid was just that—a kid.  Still young, no matter how much he’d already experienced in his life.  It’s not as though Gabriel would call him impressionable, he just knew they came from two different worlds, with a few ‘topics’ that overlapped.  And Gabriel hated how much he wanted to play a huge role in Sam’s world.

But he questioned if he could.

Or, more accurately, if he deserved to.

Godammit.

As he finished getting ready—swallowing two of the pill-formed blockers, just in case—his phone lit up with a message from Cas, which simply said he hoped he was well.

Which probably pissed him off more than it should.

Because that was the hardest part of all of it.

No matter what happened, he loved the fuck out of his brother, and he knew his brother loved him.  All this shit in the middle was just that.  And he couldn’t wait for the day Castiel opened his eyes and realized what a mess he’d gotten himself into.  He couldn’t wait for the day everything changed, and he got his kid brother back, without all the walls and hazes of drugs and sex.

However, Gabriel knew...he was smart enough to realize it wasn’t going to be him Cas would do it for.  He’d have to do it for himself.

Hopefully, that’d be before the damage was irreversible.

\-------------

Sam decided to take the good with the bad.

Even though their night could have been described as a ‘mistake,’ what occurred afterwards and the beginning of Tuesday that they were able to spend together was anything _but_.  Especially because most of the time he’d spent with Gabriel was a ‘mistake’ that lead into furthering their relationship.

Hell, it _was_ their relationship.

But it always managed to turn into two steps forward, one step back—which was not only unusual, it was unprecedented in Sam’s life.

What they had was unconventional.  That was putting it mildly.  But it wasn’t a matter of ‘dealing with it’ or ‘accepting it.’  He was fine with it.  Because he cared about Gabriel.  More than he’d remembered caring about anyone, outside of family, in a damn long time.  Even Ruby.  Because now that he was separated from her manipulation, he recognized that’s what it was.  Obsession, addiction and someone to share it with.

Who knows if he ever really loved her.  Maybe he was simply in love with the drugs, and her by association.

The fact was, when he was up and around on Wednesday, preparing for his study session with a now-humble Brady, he received two texts from the people who made him happiest these days.

One from Gabriel, reminding him they had a date night tomorrow and asking if he had any special requests, and one from his brother, asking him to ‘give him a shout.’

Sam didn’t think twice, the text just popping up on his screen and hit the call button immediately.

Dean was just as prepared, answering with an excited, “Hey!  Guess what!”

“Damn, you’re in a good mood,” his voice lightened on it’s own, Dean’s enthusiasm was always contagious.  “What?”

“Bobby decided randomly he was gonna head up to Rufus’ cabin for a bromance hunting trip.  Gonna close down the shop for a week.  Whatcha think about me heading out to visit you?  It’s been too long!”

“Dude, that’s awesome!”  Sam lit up, a wide smile breaking across his face.  “That’s actually kind of perfect.  Brady realized he was a dick the other day, and went ahead with our homework to make it up to me and my schedule’s pretty damn clear.  I’d love that.”

“Hell yeah!  I’m stoked about not busting my ass at the salvage yard and getting in a little vacation time.  It’ll take me a day and a half to get over there, but you sure that’s cool with you?”  Then, he added in a sing-song voice, “And I get to meet your boyfriend.”

“Just kidding.  You’re not allowed to come,” Sam rolled his eyes at his brother’s antics. “Oh, _God_ , the thought of the two of you in a room together is _terrifying_.”

“Yeah, yeah.  Whatever.” There was nothing but mischief in Dean’s tone.  “So how about it?  I’ll holler and keep ya updated, but I should be rolling in around Friday night?”

“Sounds good to me.  Although, you know it’d be cheaper to buy a plane ticket with that fucking gas-guzzler, right?”

“Shut your whore mouth.  And just when I was gonna tell you Baby was excited to see you, too.”

“Still need to mess with you, right?”

“Yeah, yeah.  Always with the low blows.”  He didn‘t miss a beat when he added, “But you know a lot about _those_ lately, dontcha, Sammy?”

“I hate you.  Anyway.  Tell Bobby I said hi and let me know your ETA.”  Sam laughed and shook his head.  “Minus you being an ass, I’m stoked to see you.”

“Same.  Talk soon!”

“See ya, jerk.”

\-----------------

They’d planned for a dinner out, and a night in, but when Sam had dropped the ‘Big Bro’s Coming To Visit’ bomb, Gabriel took it as some kind of undeserving good karma coming his way that he had the afternoon to get his apartment together.  Because he _knew_ he was going to be scrutinized, because _he_ was a big brother, too.  And that didn’t bother him one bit.

He wasn’t intimidated at all, he was actually looking forward to meeting Sam’s brother.  He must be a fucking awesome dude, from the way the younger alpha described him.  Hell, this was the man who single-handedly _saved the kid’s life_ , getting him off the drugs and back onto the lawyer course—which Sam was excelling at, and then some.

It wasn’t meeting him that made him nervous, nope.

It was the fact that, up until the fiasco when he had to make the six-hour round trip to get his own little brother, his apartment had been _immaculate_.  Free of his scent.

But he was so fucking frazzled, not only did he use those bullshit blockers, the scent of true alpha was _clinging_ to the walls.

He knew, from experience, it was a hard fucking scent to get out.

Because true alphas marked their territory.  Not in the primitive, piss on the fence, sense—but it lingered longer than any other person’s would.

And although Sam loved his scent?

Brady’s reaction was the way it _always_ played out.

Gabriel had no idea if Sam’s brother knew he was an alpha, let alone a true alpha.  And if there was one thing to make a big brother’s hackles rise?  It would be _this_.  Since they possessed more physical strength, could manipulate with the power of suggestion, and had so many other traits that could, if the true alpha was a dickwad, bend and break someone to their own will.

Fucking _obviously_ , Gabe wasn’t doing that.

But Sam’s brother might be freaked out by the scent, and assume the worst.  And if there was one thing Gabriel knew, without a doubt?  Sam looked up to him, admired him, and his word would mean more than anyone’s.

Which was why Gabriel was currently glaring at the kitchen, armed with a Swiffer sweeper, duster, vacuum and enough chemical cleaning products to kill a small elephant.  He needed to get his apartment back to the way it was.

Sterile.

Unassuming.

The only scent he wanted in here, for now, was Sam’s.

Which would be filling the air here later, but in the meantime?  He was forcing himself into this strange form of torture.  Because he fucking _hated_ cleaning.  More than anything.

Sure, he kept up on the dishes.  He’d tidy little things along the way—it was never a dirty apartment.  But the daunting task of cleaning it from top to bottom, hoping to remove his scent, completely?  He let out a dramatic groan, popped his blocker pills, and dove into the torture.

\------------------

When Gabriel picked Sam up for dinner, he was pretty sure he smelled like bleach and Lysol had marathon sex and jizzed all over him.  Even after he took a shower.  He tried to cover it up with cologne, who knew if it did anything, but Sam called him out immediately.

Like, the second he got into the car.

“You were cleaning,” he pointed a finger as he buckled his seatbelt and raised an eyebrow.  “Wanting to make a good impression?”

“Maybe?”  Gabriel blinked innocently.  “Or, my apartment has been trashed, since we’re living in sin, smoking it up and I was behind on laundry.  Plus, it’s been awhile since I’ve cleaned and figured it was now or never.”

“Aww,” Sam tilted his head with an almost-but-not-quite patronizing drawl, “ _or_ you wanna impress my brother.”

“Shaddup.”

“So where are we headed?”

“Sushi,” Gabriel informed him.  “Overlooking the bay.  It’ll be romantic and shit.  If you stop harassing me, Sasquatch.”

Sam began laughing and nodded his head. “I think I can handle that.”

The conversation was light in the car—Gabriel asking to make sure Brady was behaving himself, school work was flying along, random tidbits of Gabriel fighting with the stoneage vacuum he owned.  Soon, they found themselves at a table on the porch, overlooking the water.  Even though it was summer they kept their jackets on, because northern California by the bay always left you with the chills.  Still, Sam had to admit as he looked out—it was perfect.  The atmosphere, the almost graceful way the waitress slid in and out, rather than going over the top with a cheery attitude for tip money.  Yeah, it _was_ perfect.

When he glanced back to see Gabriel with a mischievous grin, he narrowed his eyes and demanded, “What?”

“Nothin’.  You’re cute.  But you already knew that.  So!  Moving on to the real questions,” Gabriel leaned closer on the table.  “You need to tell me more about your brother.  So I can prepare.”

“Hah, trust me,” Sam shook his head, “there’s literally nothing I can tell you to prepare you for him.”

“C’mon, gimmie something.”  Gabriel stuck out his bottom lip, as they waited for their entrée to arrive.  “That sounds…ominous.”

Then Sam was wondering just how much he could tell.  Or _should_ tell.  Because the things that made Dean, Dean were things he wouldn’t really want anyone to know.  But then again, Sam had told Dean Gabriel was an alpha, when he probably wouldn’t have wanted that information to be out in the open.  It was…interesting.  How their situations were similar, in a way.

“Well, I guess since I already told him you were an alpha—”

“You did?”  Gabriel sounded surprised.

“Well, yeah,” Sam shrugged his shoulders, “after Brady unloaded on me, I was pissed off as fuck and my brother’s the person I talk to about those things.”

“And…he’s peachy with it?”

“Yeah, more than anything, he wanted to get his hands around Brady’s throat.  He didn’t even blink about it.  Well, about the alpha part.  He blinked at the guy part, and then asked if I was a bottom because he’s the definition of maturity,” he snorted, remembering the conversation.  “But, yeah, he’s totally cool with it.  He’s excited to meet you.”

“Huh,” Gabe said thoughtfully.  “Well, there’s one hurdle down.  Good, good.  But that doesn’t tell me anything about _him_.”

“Yeah, well, I mentioned the alpha part because I know you kind of work to hide it,” he began speaking with his hands.  “My brother’s actually the opposite.  Since I ‘outted’ you, I may as well out him, but maybe make sure you don’t bring it up?  It just has a lot to do with who he is, ya know?  Hell, he looks more like an alpha than both of us, but he’s an omega.  He wears blockers and alpha scents, and has posed as an alpha his whole life.  Like, when we were younger, he was the one who would kick the shit out of anyone picking on me in school.  Or any of the other kids getting picked on.  He’s tough, but he genuinely cares about people with his whole heart.  Even if he’s a hell of a smart ass and a jerk.”

“Damn.  Picture perfect big bro, there.”  Gabriel had to force a smile, and hoped at least some of the warmth reached his eyes.

Because as hard as he tried, as much as he’d been there for Cas, he couldn’t help sometimes blaming _himself_ for what had happened to him.  Where had he gone so terribly wrong?  But it wasn’t like he could fucking patrol and fix a man in his mid twenties.  Sam had been young when he’d been saved.  Not a grown-ass alpha like Cas.  And Cas hadn’t needed saving, back then, when he was Sam’s age.  Hell, that’s when _Gabriel_ needed to dig himself out of the hole he’d buried himself in.

It was then, he realized Sam was still speaking.

“I mean, he‘d probably kick my ass if he heard what I was saying about him now.” Sam moved his drink as the giant plates lined with flawless, magazine-quality rows of sushi were set in front of them. “He’d probably want me to tell you he’s a manly-man mechanic slash bartender, with his muscle car who ‘gets all the babes.’  God, this looks delicious.”

“ _You_ look delicious,” Gabriel countered right back, as he picked up his chopsticks.  “I’ll make a note of that.  Manly-man bro.  Check.  I think I can handle this.”

“It’ll be interesting, that’s for sure,” Sam admitted with a huff of laughter. “And if you gang up on me?  No sleepovers for a week.”

“Ouch, right where it hurts,” Gabriel slapped his free hand over his chest.  “Duly noted.  Now, let’s dig in.”

\--------------------

“So I kind of feel like a prostitute,” Sam commented offhand, as Gabriel unlocked the door and flicked on the lights.

“You kind of do, or you _want_ to?”  He wiggled his eyebrows as he followed Sam into the apartment, grabbing a handful of his rear.

“You never let me pay for anything.” He ducked away from Gabriel’s attack, and then noted aloud, “Damn, you really did clean.”

“Is that disappointment, I hear?”  Gabriel continued to chase after him, hooking his finger through the man’s belt loop. “You never answered me.  We could role-play—”

“You,” Sam leaned down and lingered just out of range, “really are trying to impress my brother.  Just bummed, last time I was here I could kind of scent you.”

“We’ll have time for that, later,” he met Sam’s gaze with a certain intensity.  “Did you know that sushi is an aphrodisiac?”

“Did you know that you’re always horny?”  He countered, but couldn’t break away from the strength of Gabriel’s stare.

“Only when I’m around you,” he licked his lips. “Maybe you’re the aphrodisiac.  That would solve all the questions in my life, at least.”

“All of ‘em, huh?”  Sam felt himself drawn in, closer and closer, until they were a breath away.  “Wanna put that theory to the test?”

“I love science!”  Gabriel announced, stepping away completely, only to turn off the lights in the living room and drag Sam into the bedroom.

After all, they had an experiment to conduct.


	9. Chapter Eight

The memory of their last early-morning hook up was still fresh in both their minds that night, after dinner.  How raw, how intense it had been considering all they’d done was make out and rutted together like goddamn teenagers—but each had the unsaid concept it happened that way because they could scent each other.  Fully.  And something in their scents connected in a way that left them bare, open and needing each other.

Which was one of the reasons Sam’s brother coming up to visit was somewhat of a cock-block, because Gabriel would be more than happy to forgo his blockers and try that again.

But right now, when he tore Sam’s shirt from his body and slowly undressed him completely, Gabriel would say they were doing just fine.

No, fine didn't even begin to describe it.   
  
His cock was throbbing in his pants as he watched Sam sprawled out on his bed, naked and writhing.  It was a goddamn gorgeous sight, and he was already planning the ways to drive him insane.  Because even though Gabriel had to scrub away his own scent from the walls?

He wanted Sam’s here.

He wanted as much as he could get—for it to reach out and fill the bedroom with everything that made the younger alpha so fucking perfect.

Gabriel was at the foot of the bed, having removed Sam’s jeans and boxers in one go, and was now tugging off his socks.  He started at his ankles, kissing and nipping his way up the man’s long, muscled legs until he reached his knees.  Sam was watching his every move, and spread his legs once Gabriel’s tongue flicked across the sensitive expanse of his inner thigh.

Small sighs and whimpers were escaping Sam's throat, and then a hiss when Gabriel sucked the delicate skin into his mouth and left a bright red mark.  He didn’t stop there.  It was something in his nature, the part of being an alpha, he couldn’t get rid of.

This man was _his_.

He wouldn’t make a gaudy mark on his neck, like he had the night he’d gotten a little too possessive.  But everywhere Sam’s clothes would cover?  Fair game.

Not to mention, he was egged on as Sam’s arousal amplified and said he was _just_ as eager to be marked.  Which made Gabriel question again, why the hell he was wearing his pants?  Because his erection was about to bust through the goddamn zipper, he was so hard.

He had to wait it out, just for a little longer.

Because he was too busy teasingly skipping over Sam’s cock and mouthing at his hipbones.  Gabriel couldn’t stop his hands from reaching out when Sam’s hips bucked, and grabbing two handfuls of his ass.  He was massaging the flesh, now pinned down to the mattress, and Sam was wriggling.  Then, immediately gasping when one of his groping fingers brushed against his hole.

Although Gabriel was still working his way up Sam’s body with his mouth, he let his cheek brush the younger alpha’s leaking erection while he kissed his stomach, precum smearing on his face.  Sam’s breaths started heaving at the sight, forgetting about Gabriel being a cocktease, and his thoughts began wandering in _that_ direction…

He could usually behave, but tonight was _not_ the night.

“Undress, now.”

Gabriel was surprised by the amount of alpha force behind Sam’s voice, as well as the snarl, which caught both of them off guard.  Not to mention the way Gabriel’s eyes darkened instantly with desire.

“You taking control tonight, Sammy?”  He asked, suddenly looming right overtop of him, licking his lips.

Sam didn’t respond.  
  
He acted—taking advantage of Gabriel finally being within reach—and pulled his clothes off with a strength he rarely used.  Naturally, the other alpha didn’t make it easy.  He was treating it like a game, seeing how far he could push Sam, how far he would go to work for it.  Soon after, something tore, and Sam didn’t look like he gave a fuck, he knew he’d won.

Not to mention, the tell-tale dampness in the front of Gabriel’s boxers told him he was raring to go, already.

It was always a shock to Sam, how much self-control Gabriel had.  But he planned on testing that out tonight.

Because Sam wanted him so bad, it was ridiculous.

He was overtop Gabriel, sucking the man’s lip into his mouth, when Gabriel reached to grab their cocks.  However, Sam’s tender touch turned into a nip and he batted him away.  While Gabriel looked amused with his head tilted to the side and a remark right on the tip of his tongue, Sam cut him off.

“I want you to fuck me.”

Which immediately short-circuited any thoughts Gabriel had, and instead he near-whispered out, “Sam, I don‘t—”

“You _will_ fuck me.”

Now, it was an order.  An order that punched all of the breath from Gabriel’s lungs as he studied Sam’s unwavering expression, and lust-crazed scent.  It was all alpha, and Gabriel thought he may just lose his mind right there.  All he could do was nod, trying to calm himself, because those words _alone_ could’ve made him pop a knot.  And, no matter how much Sam wanted _that_ —it was off the table.

“Jesus,” Gabriel exhaled, kissing him fiercely, “could you be any hotter?  Gonna kill me.”

“Not before I feel you inside me.”  Sam grabbed his wrist and directed it in between his legs. “Been wanting it, Gabe.”

“Okay,” he was saying to the both of them, “but we’re doing this right.”

Apparently, Sam didn’t care how they did it, because when he was thrown onto his back, he was still sucking on Gabriel’s neck while the man was reaching into the top drawer of his nightstand.  Up until now, all their fucking around had been improv.  A mess of spit and saliva, because they were never going for the real deal.  But when Gabriel’s hand wrapped around the lube in the drawer, that’s when it hit him.

This _was_ the real deal.

He wasn’t going to let Sam get pushy and end up hurting himself, he was gonna do this right if—

Shit, he needed to chill out if this was ever going to work.  And, Jesus, did he want it to.  One step at a time was what he concentrated on, as he coated his fingers with the lube and kept it nearby on the bed.

He couldn’t let Sam’s scent distract him—because it was so carnal, so animalistic and seeing him this way was one of the most arousing sights he’d ever witnessed.  What had gotten into him?

Gabriel needed to stop, because he was supposed to be in the process of getting into _him_.

Sam’s hands were tangled in his hair, his mouth latched onto his earlobe when Gabriel easily slide one finger into his body.  Even though his own was screaming at him to take, now, he was careful.  Dipping in the second digit was almost just was easy, and when he was knuckle deep, teasingly stroking him on the inside, he moaned, “You really want this, don’t you?”

“Fuck yes.  I’ve fingered myself thinking about you before.”  Sam kissed the air from his lungs again.  “A few times.”

“ _Godammit_ ,” Gabriel whined out, because it made sense.

And the thought of Sam finger-fucking himself, imagining Gabriel’s cock?  Holy hell, he was terrified he wasn’t gonna last at all.

“When did you become such a little slut?”  He decided to ask instead, while he teased a third finger around Sam’s rim.

The younger alpha spread his legs wider and looked Gabriel right in the eyes as he pushed in, slowly, meeting much more resistance than before.

“When I met you.”  The words were choked, as Sam threw his head back, and Gabe knew that look.

He was trying to relax his body, but his scent didn’t show any pain.  So Gabriel slowly pumped his fingers in and out of his stretched hole, hoping to get him used to the motion, because there was no way in hell he was going to hurt Sam.  But now that he’d ordered Gabe to fuck him he was going to do everything in his goddamn power to make that happen, or else he may go insane.  And he had a pretty good idea on how to make this all work out.

Sam moaned loudly when Gabriel’s touch brushed exactly what the alpha had been looking for.  He arched off the bed and into Gabe's fingers, completely unashamed, needing more.  His arms were reaching out, trying to pull him in, and when Gabriel continued to nail his prostate a few more times, the noises transformed into words:

“C’mon, need your cock.  Now.”

“Nuh-uh-uh,” he tried to tease, but watching Sam’s hips roll, the sweat covering his body, made his mouth dry, and he barely managed to say, “one more finger, and it’s all yours.”

“It’s all mine, anyway,” Sam countered, reaching out and wrapping his hand around Gabriel’s cock.  “You’re _mine_.”

Sam being possessive like this was a whole new side that Gabriel couldn’t get enough of.  Fuck, the way Sam’s alpha was coming to the surface and claiming _him_ was the hottest thing he’d ever seen.  Except, it was a terrible idea, on the younger alpha’s part, because the way he was touching him would get him off in no time, flat.

But instead of jerking away, or snapping at him, he gave Sam just what he wanted, and twisted a fourth finger deep inside his tight body, without warning.

Sam cried out and dropped his grip completely, taking in deep breaths to try to ease the tension and burn.  Gabriel grinned, because he knew it was an asshole move—but so was Sam’s.  He dipped down to kiss him, feeling the vice grip around his fingers finally loosen enough that he could move.  But this time, he went slow.

Since, as far as he knew, Sam had never been stretched this full before.  Gabriel reached up to brush the hair from his damp brow while his fingers set a lazy rhythm inside him, and pulled away from the kiss to wait for Sam to open his eyes.

When he did and their gaze locked, his scent radiated challenge and that animalistic desire, all over again.  Even without words, Gabriel knew he was ready.

He pulled his fingers out and reached for the lube, while being ridiculously distracted by Sam rutting into him.  He wanted to tell him to calm down and wait, but Gabriel, himself, didn’t want either of those things—so he was accidentally dumped out a ridiculous amount of lube to coat his dick, because he needed Sam _right_ the fuck _now_.

When Sam tried to switch positions, Gabriel grabbed him by the shoulder and held him down, saying, “Just like this.  I want you to watch me fuck you.  Since you’re so desperate for it.”

With his jaw hanging open, the younger alpha nodded and countered, “Then do it.”

Gabriel literally could not remember being this turned on in his entire life.  The way Sam was watching as though _he_ was the predator, and _Gabriel_ was the prey...  From where he was settled between Sam’s legs, he circled his rim teasingly with the head of his cock—just to get a reaction.

Which made the younger alpha snarl and lunge upward.

Gabriel easily caught him and shoved him back down to the bed.  This time by the base of his throat.    
  
He held him like that to get Sam going, to prove he was dominate in this power struggle of a game they had going.  Their eyes were locked, and never parted as Gabriel lined up—but this time, he wasn’t messing around.

As soon as the slippery, thick head breached Sam’s rim—and he continued to sink into his body—both of Gabriel’s hands reached up to cup Sam’s face.

To hold him there.

To watch every single feeling that went through his body as he slid inside him.

Sam was watching him just as intently, his eyes alight with something fierce Gabriel couldn’t even begin to describe.

When he bottomed out and their bodies were flush, fully connected, the dam broke.

Everything was clutching hands, a clash of teeth and impassioned lips, as they tore into each other with ardor.

Gabriel had noticed a tinge of pain in Sam’s scent, but he wasn’t backing down.  However, he’d wait until Sam made the first move, when it came to their joined bodies.

It was when Sam raked his nails down Gabriel’s back, and arched upward that the alpha knew he could roll his hips.  The pressure around his cock was nothing short of divine.  They didn’t have to speak, they were completely enslaved to the moment and knew the other’s body language.  And the way Sam was meeting his thrusts meant Gabriel could speed up.

It meant he could pound into that tight, hot, virgin hole, and he was getting just as good as he was giving.

Except, there was this annoying little bit of anatomy that was a race against time.  Gabriel never wanted to leave Sam’s body.  It was perfect—being inside him felt like he was complete, on some strange level.  His scent was the epitome of everything he wanted and needed, but what was urgent was the fact that he needed to make Sam cum, and soon.

Everything was _too_ perfect, and normally, he had much better control over his knot.  Right now was another story.  He was completely under the influence of his body.  So, Gabriel had to shift and change his angle until—

“ _Fuck_ , Gabe!”

There it was.

And he exploited it with ruthlessness.

He had to, or else—

The moan that echoed through the room when Sam came was one of the most beautiful noises Gabriel had ever heard, and it was just in fucking time.  He could feel his knot against Sam’s rim, he had been making his thrusts shallower and shallower and now—

He pulled out, and with only a few more tugs on his own cock, covered Sam’s thighs and stomach with his cum.  His knot was swollen and throbbing in his own hand as he looked down at the sight below him, and couldn’t contain the words, “Fuckin' hell, you’re gorgeous,” as they tumbled from his loose lips.

The younger alpha gave him a small—dare he say shy?—smile, and pulled him down next to him, and continued kissing him.

They were both covered in sweat, drying cum, not to mention battle wounds—yet neither of them minded.  Once they’d calmed down enough, Sam was the first one to speak, his voice hushed in the quiet room.

“Why didn’t you knot me?”

With a wry grin, Gabriel’s hand moved by itself to cup his face and look him in the eyes.  “On round one?  I could’ve hurt you.  Then we’d be stuck together with you hurting and—”

“Okay,” Sam shifted his head just enough to kiss the side of Gabriel’s hand.  “I get it.  You worry about me too much, though.”

“You’re the only person in the world who’s ever made me feel like a softie, you know that?”

“It’s ‘cause you are.”

“Maybe just when I’m with you.”

“Kinda like I’m a slut, but only when I’m with you?” Sam countered in a mischievous tone.

With a wide grin, Gabriel’s hand slid upward to grab a fistful of brown hair as he demanded, “Do you have _any_ fucking idea how sexy you are?”  He tugged lightly and asked, “Where did all that alpha come from?”

With a chuckle, Sam admitted, “I’m not sure.  You bring out the worst in me, I guess.”

“Please, _please_ let me keep bringing out the worst in you.” Gabriel’s hand softened and laid gently on his neck.  “You surprised me.  And I liked it.  A lot.  Especially the possessiveness.”

“Oh?  And not the sex?”  He almost dared him, with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, duh.  That was first on the list,” he said, with a roll of his eyes, and finished with, “but I liked it when you said I was yours.”

“Aren’t you?”  There was the barest hesitancy in Sam’s tone.  As though, in the moment he was sure, but now he was craving confirmation.

So Gabriel didn’t miss a beat when he stated, “Sure am.  Got the bites and claw marks to prove it.  Fuckin’ wildcat.”

“You wanna talk about _marks_?”

“I’m kidding.  I like it.  I told you, you’re ridiculously fucking hot and I’m glad you, uh,” Gabriel was searching for the words that wouldn’t ruin the entire mood, “trusted me and wanted it.”

“I knew you’d never push it.  So I knew I had to be the one to bring it up,” Sam shrugged, like giving Gabriel his virginity was the most casual thing in the world.  However, his tone did take on a deeper meaning when he admitted, “I never thought I would want it, to be honest.  But you just have these magic powers, or something.  I‘m glad it was you.”

“Shucks, Sammy.”  Gabriel could see the man was slowly getting more sleepy by the second.  “I’ll be right back, gotta grab stuff to wash up.”

It was the least he could do.  He could tell from Sam’s speech he was getting close to nodding off, and they had made a hell of a mess.  So he hurried to the bathroom to grab some wash cloths and took the liberty of cleaning Sam up, after he scrubbed down, too.  They tossed the comforter off the bed, and crawled under the sheets, which would be warm enough with their combined body heat.

However, before Sam could fall asleep completely, Gabriel made sure he had his attention (droopy or not) and looked him right in the eyes.

“Hey,” Gabriel shifted around until he knew Sam caught his gaze, “I’m glad it was me, too.  Magic powers or not, you’re starting to mean a lot to me, kid.  But don’t tell anyone,” he finished with a wink.

Sam answered him with a goofy almost half-asleep smile, and mumbled, “Me, too.”

When Gabriel wrapped his arms around the younger alpha and took in his scent, he couldn’t keep the stupid smile off his face.  He could scent what _he_ was feeling from Sam, and for once he wished he wasn’t on the blockers.  Just so Sam could know, without a doubt, the feeling was mutual and not have to rely on words alone.  He hoped he could string together the right ones to get through to him without being too sappy or come on too strong.

Tonight, though, Gabriel thought he did all right.

\--------------

When Sam woke up the next morning, he noticed two things.

One: he could smell coffee and what he assumed to be some kind of omelet dish coming from the kitchen.

And two: he was...sore?

Like…really sore.

He knew it was the scent of food that had awoken him, and he was lucky that the night before he had told Gabriel about needing to meet with Brady to discuss their work for the week, while Dean was visiting.  Because after last night, Sam had been spent.  Spent, to the point he completely forgot to set his alarm for his early afternoon meeting with Brady.  Thank God his boyfriend was an early riser.

When Sam looked at the time, he noticed he had a good hour to spend here before he needed to head home and prepare for the study session.  Then, Dean would be getting here around dinner time.

After throwing back the sheet, he moved gingerly to the edge of the bed to look for his clothes.  He didn’t even have the excuse of being drunk last night, he was just really horny and drunk on Gabe.  Even so, he didn’t regret it.  Not one bit.

He pulled on his boxers, remembering the ‘bare minimum’ clothing rule while in the apartment, and it seemed fair—since Gabriel was in the middle of making him breakfast.

Sam walked down the hall and into the kitchen, stretching out and commenting, “Something smells awesome.”

“Rabbit-friendly omelets,” Gabe threw the words over his shoulder while he flipped one onto the plate.  Then, when he turned around, he whistled and said, “Damn.  We really went to town on each other last night, didn’t we?”

Sam looked down and laughed, “Well, from what I can see.”

“I’ve got a masterpiece going on under these clothes, with your autograph and everything.”  He set the steaming plate down in front of Sam.  “You’re so good at obeying the rule, even though I haven’t gotten the sign up yet,” he teased with a kiss to the top of his head.  “Ya want some hot sauce or ketchup?”

“Hot sauce would be great.”

Two bottles were set in front of him and, before long, a side of hashbrowns.  

Once Gabriel joined the table and they began eating, Sam had to ask, “Seriously?  Everything you make is awesome.  Where did you learn to cook like this?”

“Eh, it’s only breakfast stuff, anyone can do it,” Gabriel waved off the compliment, as he stuffed his mouth to avoid whatever question was next.

Sam took that as a sign and kept eating, humming appreciatively around bites, and sipping at the orange juice set out in front of him.

“How ya feeling?”  Gabriel asked randomly.

“Good, why?”  He tilted his head to the side in confusion, until he realized what Gabriel meant.

And then it wasn’t quite so random.

“Oh.  Yeah.”  Sam had to take another chug of the drink so he didn’t choke. “It‘s not bad.  I mean, I can feel it but, yeah.”

He also knew he was probably blushing, and he hated it.  It was ironic, that last night he had demanded to be fucked, without any reservations, and now speaking about being a little tender was what was causing him embarrassment?  Funny, how things worked out.

Gabriel was wearing a shit-eating grin, but that was pretty normal so Sam could respond easily with a bitchface.

The alpha raised his hands in a show of surrender, saying, “Hey, can’t blame me, you’re the one who—”

“I know,” Sam cut him off, pointing at him with a fork.  “It’s just weird to talk about after, all right?!”

“You mean you don’t want to talk about the epic way I plowed your ass—”

A wadded up napkin hit Gabriel in the face, and he began cackling.  “Sorry, you’re too cute.  And easy to tease.  Hey, I made you an awesome breakfast _and_ remembered your schedule, so you can’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad,” Sam crossed his arms petulantly, “I’m trying to teach you manners.”

“Ooh, this could be another kinky role-play.”  Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows.  “I’m gonna have to start a list.  We can put it on the fridge and check things off as we go.”

“I hate you.”

“Such a lie.”  Gabriel took the dirty plates.  “So does that mean you’re leaving now, or hanging out until you have to meet with your homie?”

“I guess if I have to, I’ll hang out,” Sam sighed and watched Gabriel stick the plates right in the dishwasher.  “Your company isn’t that bad.”

“Why, thank you, I pride myself on it.”  It seemed Gabe was always on host duty, as he brought the coffee pot over and topped off Sam’s drink without him even asking.  “Wanna cuddle on the couch?  Judge people on the morning news?  Or are you too sore?”

Gabriel barely managed to dodge a slap on his way to put the coffee pot back.

\-----------------

Ever since their first movie date, the two had worked out all the most comfortable positions on the couch—the current one involved Gabe half in Sam’s lap with the taller man’s leg draped overtop him.  And, of course, his phone was demanding attention on the coffee table, when Gabriel did not want to get up.

But it wasn’t a text, it was a call.

Everyone who knew him, knew he hated speaking on the phone, so there had to be a reason behind this call.

Gabriel groaned, Sam barely letting him go, and wiggled around so he could grab his phone.  When he caught sight of the name on the screen, he was more than a little confused.  

He flipped the phone open, and answered a neutral tone, “’ello?”

“Gabriel,” the accented voice began, “are you alone?”

With a glance to Sam, wrapped around him, he very carefully asked, “Do I need to be?”

“That would be for the best, yes.”

He pulled the phone away from head and placed a quick kiss along Sam’s neck, before nipping his ear and saying, “Be right back.  Keep my place warm?”

Even though he raised an eyebrow and hauled him in for a real kiss, Sam nodded and reminded him, “I gotta be taking off soon.  Won’t be warm for too much longer.”

“Sassy.”  He couldn’t help but ruffle Sam’s hair as he wandered to the one place he knew the younger alpha’s ears couldn’t reach.

The balcony.

He pushed at the heavy sliding door, then closed it behind him.

When he finally got back to the phone, he stated, “Alone.  This better be important.”

“Oh, it is.”

Gabriel decidedly _hated_ the tone in Balthazar’s voice.

“Spill.”

“Cassie—he’s, well.  He’s all right, now.  But last night, he needed to be admitted to the ER.”

The bottom fell out of Gabriel stomach and he had to grab the railing of the porch to hold him up.

“What the fuck happened?!”  His voice was a hissed whisper.  “You said he’s okay?”

“He’s stabilized.  Fuck,” there was defeat in the man’s tone.  “He’s a force of nature, that one.  I don’t know how the fuck the little bugger did it, but he somehow convinced me.  With all his damn flowery words and contagious excitement.  He…shot up to show me how it was done.  Then, he proceeded to tell me he didn’t take enough for a decent high, and then we did it together.  But Cas, h-he took too much.  Didn’t know his limitations because he was _already_ fucked up on God knows _what_ else.  I didn’t know about anything, the warnings, what could go wrong, because that’s not my scene and—”

“He overdosed,”  Gabriel forced out between his teeth.  “This was last night?  Who was he with?  How did he get there?  What happened?”

“I panicked, because I hardly knew what was going on and called Meg.  Because once he realized what was happening he wanted to call you, but he couldn’t find your contact before I could find Meg’s.  She took care of the rest and got him there.  I had to stay here, I _couldn’t_ go to the hospital with them, not like that, on my _first_ bloody _heroin trip_?  But I knew you needed to know—”

“Goddamn.”  Gabriel’s heart was beating out of his chest.

He needed to get there.  To make sure his brother was all right.  The fucking idiot.  Not to mention the hospital bills, hoping the police didn’t become involved, and—

“Meg says they’re keeping him for a few days to detox, but who knows if that’s going to happen.  They may have to tie him down with chains, if I understand things correctly,” Balthazar huffed out, “I’m sorry, Gabriel.”

“Oh, they’re keeping him there.  I’m gonna make fuckin’ sure of it.”

There was a fierce determination in his voice when he said it.

However, he deflated when he remembered, “I was supposed to meet Sam’s brother his week.  Jesus fuckin’ Christ, Cas always has the best timing.”

“Family emergency?”  Balthazar offered.

“I’m not letting him into my family.  That’s the last fucking thing I want.”

“I find that reasonable.  I’m on my way over to the hospital, now.  I’ll text you the information.  I’m sorry, again.  You don’t deserve this.”

The line went dead and Gabriel let the phone sit in his hands for a minute while he gazed blankly forward, out into the street.  The sun was shining, it was a beautiful day outside, but this could be chalked up to one of the worst days of his own life.  His screen came alive with numbers and letters to direct him to his idiot brother, but he barely glanced.  Because what the fuck was he going to tell Sam?

He wasn’t sure how long he was outside, just zoning out, living in his thoughts about the current predicament, when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him.

His body must have been so acclimated to Sam’s scent that he hadn’t even jumped, even though his brain hadn’t picked up on it.  He let himself savor the moments of being held, before the inevitable:

“What was that about?”

“Work,” he finally decided on.  “I don’t know how much ya know about strip clubs, but we’re a franchise.  Apparently, one of our sister-locations had to fire a couple bartenders skimming from the register and my boss told me they need someone this week to fill in.  And it _wasn’t_ a suggestion.  Not to mention, they lured me in with a huge pay bonus and a swanky hotel.”

“Strip clubs have that kind of money to throw around?”  Sam’s voice sounded confused, and Gabriel was really damn glad he’d swallowed down his good blockers before breakfast.

He leaned back into the younger alpha’s embrace and looked up at him with a completely fake, but believable, smile (he had more than enough practice at these things) to announce, “Duh.  It’s a one-for-two deal.  So even though I’ll be hustling ass while they find replacements, I am both making lots of dough and doing ‘em a solid.  I feel like a fuckin’ sack of shit for ditching out on meeting your brother, but it’s a dictatorship over there.”

Gabriel maneuvered around to gently kiss the frown off Sam’s face while he shrugged, “I mean, I get it, it’ll only be a week, right?”

“If it’s more than one week, I’ll walk,” Gabriel winked, “promise.”  Then, a thought popped into his head. “Hey, how about you and your brother stay here while he visits?  You can take my room, he can take the guestroom.  It’ll beat a couch, right?”

Thank God, Sam’s scent lightened up with the offer.

“Are you sure?  I mean, I bet he’d be thrilled.  He always bitches about my couch.  Well, _everyone_ bitches about my couch, but it’s not like I’m rolling in money,” Sam scoffed, and tilted his head as if he was looking for signs that Gabriel was fucking with him.  “You trust me with your apartment?”

“Duh.  Relationship?”  He wiggled his eyebrows.  “It’s not like I have a fish you’ll forget to feed or plants to water.  ‘Course I trust ya, Moose.  ‘Sides, it’s the least I can do.  Like I said.  I feel like a jerk.”

Gabriel grabbed his hand and led him back into the apartment to dig around for his spare set of keys.  Ones he never thought he’d be giving to anyone besides Cas when he was ‘couch surfing.’  And here he was.  Willingly handing them over to someone who wasn’t family.  Happily, too.

Except, Sam’s scent took a turn for the _un_ happy.

When he glanced up and saw him shifting, he placed and keys in his hand and asked, “What’s wrong, kiddo?”

“This is the last time I’ll see you for a week, huh?”  He realized aloud.

“Yeah,” he acknowledged on a heavy exhale.  “Wanna make out until you have to leave in five minutes?”

Thankfully, that replaced Sam’s puppy face with a grin, when he nodded, “I think that’s something we can work out.”

“Good,” Gabriel’s eyes were alight with mischief as he shoved Sam to the couch.

After all, he was just as disappointed he had to leave for a week.

\-----------------

Gabriel couldn’t describe with words how badly he needed those last fleeting moments with Sam.  Because these next days were going to be a living hell.

The address Balthazar sent was a hospital in the middle of nowhere.  A small facility, outside the city limits because Meg had been smart.

While she rushed him somewhere for help, it wasn’t to a place with lots of traffic.  Lots of security.  Lots of rules and regulations to be followed when it came to situations like this.

However, if the distance between being smart and needing to get Cas help got him killed, he’d choke the life out of Meg with his bare hands.

Alright, that wasn’t a good way to start this, not at all.

He kept trying to remind himself these friends of Cas’ were bystanders.

No one forced the goddamn needle into his arm.

And, apparently, Cas had done so last night.   _Twice_.

Not to mention, bringing his old friend into it?

What the fuck was he thinking?  People couldn’t have good lives without the ‘assistance’ of drugs?  He was going to ream him out for that, because when he met Balthazar, he seemed like a nice guy.  A _genuine_ friend who cared.  And now Cas was trying to turn him into a mini-him.

After Sam left, he packed a bag for the week and made a withdrawal from one of his random bank accounts to get a hotel in the area.  The drive was a little over an hour. He’d figure out the hotel plan after he saw Cas.

Jesus, this wasn’t okay.

Maybe it was good that Balthazar had gotten a hold of Meg the night before.  Because there was no way in hell a ringing phone was going to rip him away from his night with Sam.  But here he was, lying to his now- _official_ boyfriend.  Again.  This time, straight to his fucking face.

When he pulled into a parking spot, he noticed Balthazar was outside smoking a cigarette.  Which looked like a fan-fucking-tastic idea.

Gabriel hopped out of the car and pulled out his pack, popped a menthol in his mouth and lit up.  His feet carried him to the British man all by themselves as he took in a heavy drag and tried to release some of the tension.  But who was he kidding?  This brewing in his gut wasn’t going anywhere.

“Have you seen him?”  Were Gabriel’s first words.

“He’s in and out.  On fluids.  They're trying to flush his system.”  Balthazar was having a hard time meeting the alpha’s gaze.  “They’re asking for insurance and—”

“I’ve got all that shit,” he patted his coat pocket full of fake policies, half identity theft, half aliases.  “What happened last night?  Was it just the two of you?”

“We…” the beta kicked a rock along the side of the building while flicking the ash from the tip of his cigarette.  “We were hanging out with a few of his friends.  They were the ones who owned the house.  Left to go to sleep, or fuck, who knows.  Then, it was just me and Cassie.  We were still wide awake, and he had this grand idea to ‘open my eyes’ to what I’ve been missing in the world.  I told him— _multiple times_ mind you—that wasn’t on my bucket list, but he can be very—”

“Convincing.”  Gabriel finished.  “How do you think he dragged an omega in heat hundreds of miles to come visit you?  He’s got a way with words, you should know that.  The one thing he fucking learned in school that stuck, was using philosophy to get his friends to fuck up their goddamn lives.”

There was a lull in the conversation—because they both knew it was true.  When Castiel spoke passionately about anything, everyone else would get drawn in.  It was a curse, more than a blessing, these days.

“He’s scared, you know.”

“What?”  Gabriel asked, as he exhaled smoke.

“He knows you’re coming.  And that you’re going to be very disappointed in him,” Balthazar finally made eye contact. “He told me about the spat you two had last time I saw you.  He knows you haven’t forgiven him.  And he mentioned something about ‘this proving your point.’”

“Yeah.  It sure as fuck does.”  His voice was rueful, as he aggressively smashed the cigarette against the ashtray.  “How coherent are we talking?”

“Like I said.  In and out.  But I have a feeling he’ll perk up when he hears your voice,” he sighed and walked into the hospital as the automatic doors opened to greet them.  “I’ll show you where he is.”

\------------------

Of course, the first thing Dean wanted to do when he rolled up into town was to grab a bite to eat.  Sam’s brother had always had an insatiable appetite, and the younger Winchester honestly had no idea how he wasn’t morbidly obese.  After all, his brother acted allergic to anything that resembled physical activity, and there were only so many calories you could burn while working on a car, right?

It was just another one of the mysteries that made Dean himself.

They agreed on a late dinner at a place Sam knew his brother would love, after he explained the situation about Gabriel to him on the last leg of the ride via phone call.

While Dean had suspicions, he didn’t voice them until they were sitting together, inside the restaurant with their food in front of them.

“Dude, are you _sure_ you aren’t making him up?”  Dean asked as he took an obnoxiously large bite from his burger, then continued with his mouth full, “Innt dat conven’nt he’s outta towm?”

With a shrug and a laugh, Sam began picking at his food, his only answer being, “I told you, it was last minute.  He was excited to meet you, cleaned his place from top to bottom even.“  Since that was brought up, Sam easily fell into the second part.  “Well, you’ll know the apartment’s real.  He gave me the keys so I could stay in his room and you could take the guest room while you’re here.  Much better than you sleeping on my couch, you know.”

That froze Dean’s movements and made his eyes widen a little bit.  “Well, alright, then.  I doubt you’d go to those lengths just to fake a boyfriend.  And that’s pretty damn cool of him.  You know I loathe your ghetto-ass couch.”

“Yeah.  He is pretty damn cool.”  Sam finally felt comfortable to begin eating his salad.

He had butterflies in his stomach about the question he was about to broach with Dean, and he wasn’t sure if he should wait until after dinner, or do it now.  Dean was obviously preoccupied with his Houdini act, attempting to make the burger disappear in record time, so he hadn’t gotten a good chance to scent Sam.  But the moment he did, he’d know he was hiding something.

Well, not hiding something, _per se_.  But…dwelling.  Being anxious.  And, yet _again_ , needing that brotherly advice.

It wasn’t something he even realized until after he met with Brady to figure out their study schedule while Dean was here.

And _then_ he was left alone, realizing he wasn’t going to see Gabriel for a week.

And _now_ the realization was eating away at him.

“Oh my God,” Dean practically moaned out, “you said your mystery man found this hole-in-the-wall diner?  You better hold onto him.  And tight.  Because I may try to steal him away, based on his food choices alone.”

Sam chuckled and continued stabbing at his Cobb salad. “Right?  I’ve been here, for what?  Over four years?  Every single time we go out or order in, he finds some place I’ve never heard of.  I’m never eating at a chain again.”

“I wouldn’t either!  These fuckin’ onion rings?”  He pushed one close enough to smack Sam in the face with it. “Gold!  And, don’t you dare even think about tellin’ Ellen, but these burgers are about the best thing I’ve tasted!  What the hell, right?”

“Secret’s safe with me,” the alpha took a sip of his beer, glad to be in the presence of his brother.

No matter how obnoxious, and borderline pornographic his noises were, when he finally washed his food down with his own beer, and slammed it down with a satisfied ‘ahh,’ he pointed at Sam.

“All right.  Now spill.  I’ve had my love affair with heavenly cuisine, now you tell me what’s bothering you.”

Of course he’d notice.

“Yeah.”  Sam was nearly finished with his salad, and decided to push it aside for the time being.  “Okay, I’m not sure how much advice you can really lend, but—”

“Worst way to start a story, dude,” the omega chastised, and crossed his arms, “but I’ll hear ya out.”

“So, uh.  Since it’s summer and everything, I totally lost track of time.  And I’m due for my rut next week.”  Sam took a deep breath in, “I don’t know what to do.  There are…so many factors.  I’ve never been in a relationship during my cycle. I don’t know if I should bring it up with him, I feel like everything's different since we’re both alphas, I don’t want to pressure him.   _Jesus_ , and I’ve only got, like, _five days_ to figure it out.”

Dean brought his arm up so his elbow rested on the counter and his chin rested in his palm, “Huh.”

“Huh?”  Sam shot him a bitchface.  “That’s all you’ve got?!”

“Shut up!  I’m thinking.  Gimmie a second.”

And so he did.

Until Dean perked up.

“All right.  So, first things first—I can’t tell you from experience, obviously—but I can tell you this, from what close friends have told me.  It’s always kinda dangerous to spend a heat or a rut with someone you’re dating.  If it’s just some random hookup or casual thing  _and_ you’re ridiculously horny?  ‘Mate me and breed me’ is dirty talk, and that’s it.  If you’re in a relationship?  It gets cloudy, and it sounds like the best fuckin’ idea in the world.  Obviously, you don’t have to worry about the breeding thing, and I’m not even sure if alphas _can_ mate, but I think spending ruts together is a good idea in the very beginning of a relationship, if you wanna take it to the next level, or if you’re mates.  There’s part one of my advice,” Dean raised a single finger.  “I’ve known that to be a place where accidental mating happens, ya know?”

Sam nodded, taking in all that information, because it made sense.  It made a whole fuck-ton of sense.

“Two, and I _don’t_ want you to answer any of this.  Like, seriously.  Not.  One.  Word.  About this.  This is another thing for you to think about.  Would he be down?  What’s your dynamic?  Yeah, I mean sexually.  Would he play that role, would he take care of you?  Or would it be better to go in it alone?  I’m not an idiot, I know you’ve had chicks in the past, which is gonna be tough, dude, since I’m guessing you’re exclusive.  I think you need to talk it out.  Because this could be a make it or break it thing.”

Dean scratched the side of his head, like he did when he was uncomfortable. “It’s a shitty spot.  I get it.  Maybe it’s easier for omegas?  But, you know.  I friggin choke down suppressants like it’s my day job.  My guess is, you were still planning on being with that Madison chick around now, huh?”

While he hated it, Sam nodded in admission.

“Yeah, life always loves to throw a wrench in the machine, right?”

“It does,” Sam confirmed with a heavy exhale and had to try his hardest not to hang his head.  “I—I have no idea what the fuck to do.”

“How close are you two?”  Dean tried to lead him.

“I mean, it’s new.  But—”

“This would take it to another level.”  The omega finished for him.

“Probably.  Maybe.”

“And would you want that?”

Sam had to break eye contact and look at his lap.  “Yeah.  I do.  But I don’t think the rest of the world does.”

Suddenly, from across the table came a punch to the shoulder. “Fuck the rest of the world, Sammy.  What do _you_ want?”

With a challenge in his eyes, as well as a glare, Sam snapped, “Him!  I want _him_.”

“All right,” Dean was wearing a proud grin—like he’d won.  “There ya go.”

“But we haven’t—”

“I told you, I didn’t want to hear—!  Wait.  You _haven’t_?”

“No.  Not, like really, _really_.  Kinda, but not.  I don‘t know.”

“How long have to guys been together?”  Dean blinked owlishly.

“Uh,” Sam shifted uncomfortably, “like, give or take a month?”

“How long have you known each other?”

“Longer.”

“What the fuck!  You’re _both_ alphas!   _Act_ like it!”

“We’re not fucking knotheads, Dean!”

“There’s something wrong with you.  Seriously, _seriously_ wrong.”

“We do other things!”

“Whatever.”  Dean slapped his hand down on the table twice. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand so I can check out Mr. Mysterious’ digs.”

Sam was glaring, and continued to glare as they took the ticket up to the counter and paid for their food.  What had turned out as great advice, and things he could genuinely think about, turned out to be more of Dean’s teaching bullshit that reminded him why he usually wanted to punch his brother in the face.  Typical.

\--------------

Gabriel was killing time in the hospital room, carrying on a text conversation with Sam, hoping his visit with his brother was going well while he was waiting for his own to wake up.

Apparently, the burger place he’d recommended was a hit, and even though Gabriel wasn’t there, he’d already scored points.  Not to mention, Sam’s brother thought it was exceptionally ‘awesome’ he was letting them crash while Gabriel was out of town.

Currently, he was lying about being on his own ‘dinner break’ and saying the strippers here were the B-team, compared to where he worked.  Although, the crowd here sure knew how to drink their alcohol, so he was making mad tip money already.  As soon as he saw Cas begin to stir, he typed out, ‘Dinner break’s done, talk soon’ and shut the flip phone.

Then, he turned his entire body to face Castiel.

Balthazar and Meg were still in the area, but Gabriel had ordered them to get a bite to eat or some shit, throwing money at them, because he needed some time alone with Cas.  And if the big, blue eyes widening as soon as he caught sight of him were any sign, it was definitely for the best.

His mouth was dry as he choked out, “G-Gabriel—”

“Hey.”  He took in a deep breath, and reached for the cup of water by the bedside to hand off. “How’s being alive?”

“A bit daunting.”

“So you were _trying_ to kill yourself?”  He tried to keep his voice as even as possible.

“ _You’re_ a bit daunting, is what I meant,” he broke his gaze away and focused solely on the water.  “And, no.  I was not.  I miscalculated.  Can you take me home?”

“ _Hell_ no.”

He was counting his breaths.  Trying to remain calm in the face of the sheer idiocy that was his brother.

“You’re staying here to detox.  Hospital’s orders.”

“We both know you can sneak me out—”

“I’m paying for this.  I’m getting my money’s worth,” Gabriel said casually and crossed his legs.  “Seventy-two hours.  That’s the norm for getting this shit out of your body, but they suggested another day or so, because of all the _other_ shit.  That’s what the doctor’s signed you up for.  Then, they point you in the direction of a rehab facility.  Now, I’m not gonna harp on that, but _overdosing_?  Cas, what the fuck?”

“I told you, I misc—”

“I don’t want to hear that,” Gabriel grabbed the edge of the chair and dragged it, with a horrible scraping sound, as close to the bed as possible.  “I _trust you_ to fucking know your limits.  I _trust you_ to stay a-fucking-live!  And now, it looks like not only do you not give a fuck about _yourself_ , you’re also dragging one of your friends down this fuckin’ gateway to hell?  Balthazar wants nothing to do with it!  Are you that lonely?  That shallow?  That stupid?”

Cas’ mouth was open like he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t.

So Gabriel kept going.

“You could have died!  I did not sign up for worrying, every fucking goddamn day if you’re breathing or not!”  He hissed between his teeth.  “Have fun at a party, go fuck some chicks, but if you’re in this deep that I have to question if you’re _dead_?  If you’ve fried too many brain cells to not know your limits anymore?  I _can’t_ do this.  I _won’t_ do this.  This is too far.”

Gabriel could feel his heart hammering out of his chest with every word he spat at his brother, because he'd reached his limit.  This is _it_ , this is—

“I can’t even have my _own life_ , because of you, Cas.”  Shit, he was trying to keep his voice from breaking, because it was so damn close.  “I love you.  I love the fuck out of you and I don’t want to give up, but what the hell else can I do?”

“I-I’m fine, staying here to detox.”

His voice was barely above a whisper.

“I’m sorry, Gabriel.  I’m so sorry.”

“You bet your ass you’re staying here to detox,” Gabriel huffed out, “because I’ll be here.  Every fucking day.  Making sure you don’t try to run.  After that?  What you decide is up to you.  But I’m out.  I can’t do this anymore.”

His words were final, and he grabbed the remote on the table to turn the TV on, ignoring the scent of devastation and the fact that he could see the beginning of tears in his brother’s eyes.  It didn’t matter.  As much as it tore him up inside, seeing his brother in pain, he was enabling him.  

He was done.

He clicked through three stations, barely even noticing what he’d stopped on, and cranked up the volume.

Gabriel would stay, he’d keep his vigil, and hoped Castiel chose the correct path once he was out.  But this time he’d have to do it alone.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took me forever to post this chapter! The holidays obviously caught me off guard and I hope all yours were wonderful! Thank you for all the lovely feedback last chapter, I'll respond to your comments soon. I figured it would be better to update first, since I've kept you waiting ;) Enjoy!

Dean thought he was good at a lot of things, but one thing he was great at, when the words ‘make yourself at home’ left Sam’s mouth, was doing _just_ that.

It was partially a test.

For this _alpha boyfriend_ of Sam’s.

It wasn’t like he made a mess; nope, not at all.

But when he was spending the long weekend with his brother, _maybe_ he pushed the boundaries of settling in.

Everything he did could be justified, of course.

Sam loved his cooking, so when he raided this alpha’s pantry and made breakfast and lunch for his little brother every day (since they went out for dinner at night) who was the wiser?  It was the guy’s own fault for leaving Sam high and dry—so Dean took it upon himself to spoil Sam.    
  
And raid the fridge.   
  
And drink _all_ the beer.   
  
And clean out _all_ the food (besides a wayward radish—who the fuck bought radishes?) in the process.

He had no idea if Sam knew what he was doing (his evil plot, that was) or not.

Dean also went out of his way to spray an obnoxious amount of his alpha cologne on himself before they went out at night.  He _totally_ did one of those girl moves—the one where you spritz an obscene amount into the air and emerge, like an undulating swan, through the mist.  At least, that’s what it resembled to him.  Weirdo chicks.     
  
He did that, _after_ Sam was in the entryway.

Because, if this alpha was good enough for Sam, he wouldn’t be intimidated by another alpha marking up his territory.

Especially since, the synthetic alpha scents weren’t familial:  they were random smells of woodsy, manly-man notes—it would cause a lesser alpha to get straight-up pissed.

If the boyfriend was happy and content with their relationship, he wouldn’t be bothered by them at all.  He’d probably find it humorous, and know just what Dean was doing.  Or, if he was a knothead, the kind Dean _didn’t_ want his little brother to be with, he’d freak out and demand who he’d let in his apartment when he was gone.

Yep.  Dean was being a little shit.

And had not one regret.

But his attempts were probably pointless, because the way his little brother lit up the second he received a text from this mystery man?  Damn, did it make Dean happy on second-hand endorphins.  He couldn’t even find it in his heart to tease him, Sam looked like he was on cloud nine.  And then the tables turned, because Dean was finding himself disappointed he couldn’t meet him.

From what he’d figured out so far, the apartment and letting them crash there was a great sign of trust.  The fact that he was worried about what other people would think about Sam being with him showed he cared, not that he was in it to just hook up.  And those were the things Dean was looking into.

When Sam was in the shower, Dean went through the man’s room and determined he was a midget. While he had a bunch of work clothes, he also had some outrageous gag-gift material pajamas and he had candy stowed in the most random places.  Like, straight-up bizarre places.  
  
In with the coffee filters, next to the paper clips with the office supplies in his desk, the apex of his DVD tower.  Who knows where else he had them hidden.  He was like a fuckin’ hoarder.   
  
When Dean found the lube, he stopped his digging, because he needed brain bleach.  Plus, the shower had turned off and he needed to get the hell out of the bedroom.

In the end, he got to spend an awesome weekend around campus, random dive bars and diners with his little brother, just like old times, and he figured this guy was probably legit.

Which was why, on the last day—while Sam was in the shower—Dean decided to leave a little surprise for him.

Hopefully, the dude could read his chicken-scratch, because it would make his giant of a brother really damn happy if he could translate it.

He folded the note up, and tucked it away, where he knew Sam wouldn’t find it the next two days before his boyfriend arrived home.

Because Dean already knew.

Now that Sam had the keys to Mr. Mysterious’ apartment, he would be sleeping here at night, and not going back to his own lonely little box of an apartment.

\-----------------

This was it.

They were releasing Cas later today, and Gabriel had one more thing to do.

He had told Balthazar and Meg, both, to keep watch on him—because he knew, individually, the alpha would be able to talk both of them into sneaking him out before Gabriel got back.  But together?  There wasn’t a chance the beta and omega would let him.

Gabriel was headed to the mall, and stopped right out front one of those little kiosks to place a call before doing what he came here for.

The phone rang and, soon, Sam picked up with a, “Hey!” that Gabriel could visually see accompanying his happy puppy face.

“What’s up, kiddo,” he greeted back with an honest-to-goodness laugh.  “Guess who’s driving back?”

“Finally!  They were able to find the replacements in time?”

“They found one, still in the interview process for the second.  But, like I said, I told them if they kept me away longer than they said, I’d walk.  The chick they hired can handle it, they’re on their way,” Gabriel’s fabricated story rolled right off his tongue.  “Except, I’m heading right to my club afterwards.  Should get out decently early, though.  Apparently, it’s falling apart without me.”

“You’re such a hot commodity.”  He could hear Sam’s teasing eye roll. “You’re coming over when you‘re done with your shift.”

“Oo, is that an order?”

“It sure is.  I miss you, you ass.”

“I love it when you get all bossy.”  Gabriel pitched his voice a little deeper, “We’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.”

“Hense, why you’re coming over right after your shift.”  Yep, he could definitely hear a hint of longing.  “Dean took off two days ago, and I’ve been catching up on school work.  I need a distraction.  You’re the best kind.”

“Such a romantic, Sammy,” he clucked his tongue, and finished with, “I’m gonna pack up my bag and get to work.  Then, you’re all mine tonight.”

“Good.  I’ll be waiting,” Sam’s voice held that note of underlying excitement. “Drive safe.”

“Will do.  See you soon.”

And with that, Gabriel hung up.

He turned to face the kiosk he’d been pausing in front of, and walked up to an overly-cheerful sales man.

“Hello, sir!  What can I do for you, today?”

“I’m gonna need a new phone with a new number.  Whole shebang.”

“Are you trading your phone in, need your contacts transferred—”

“New everything,” Gabriel emphasized his point, by pulling the battery out of his phone, flipping it open, and snapping it in half.  “I don’t have anything to transfer over.  Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

The man looked alarmed for a split-second, before his training kicked back in and he nodded, “All right.  What model are you looking at?  And what kind of plan suits your lifestyle the best?”

Gabriel did little more than point a few times, hand over one of his fake credit cards, and the deal was done.  Now, he was ready to head back and see his brother off.

\----------------

After getting the call from Gabriel, Sam was alight with energy and excitement.

But also nerves.

While they’d been talking every day, he still had yet to bring up ‘The Topic.’

Mostly, because it was something he wanted to discuss in person.

But the timing couldn’t have been worse.

The night Gabriel was getting back was literally the night before Sam was due for his rut.

Dammit, he should have said something about it on the phone, because now he couldn’t even test the water.

But after Dean left, the more he thought about it…the more he wanted it.

The more he really did trust Gabriel.

The more he knew Gabriel probably would do anything for him.

Dean had brought it up one more time in passing, before he left.  It was during their last dinner together, when he would be leaving in the morning, that he snapped at Sam, “Just do it.”

Since, ‘I’m sick of all your goo-goo eyes every time he sends you a text’ and ‘you guys are already head over heels for each other’ and ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’

And, all right, that did get Sam thinking.  What was the worst that could happen?

They had amazing chemistry, sexual or not, and they were already headed towards taking their relationship to the next level.  At least, Sam was pretty sure they were.  He always got a ’good night’ call, and a ’good morning’ text—this wasn’t casual any longer.  And, when it came down to it, they were alphas.  So ruts were just going to be about sex.  It wasn’t about mating or breeding, and it’s not like Gabriel was going to get all freaked out about sex.  Hell, that’s all their relationship had started out with.

So why was Sam nervous?

Maybe he wasn’t anymore.

Maybe, just _maybe_ , he was even a little excited.

The clock wasn’t counting down quickly enough when he glanced at it.

He needed to head back to his apartment, eventually.  Yeah, so sue him if he had camped out at Gabriel’s, even after Dean left.  It was just more comfortable here, and it felt like he was with him, in a strange way.  When he texted him, asking when he was getting done with work, he got an error message.

Which was weird.

He sighed heavily, and got up to his feet, ready to head back to his own apartment and be prepared for the other alpha’s arrival.

\----------------

Castiel was pulling on his jacket when Gabriel came back into the room.  He waved Meg over into the hallway and let Balthazar block him from view.  She looked a bit confused as they walked a few doors down, until Gabriel instructed her, “Get out your phone.”

At this point, with how many times the alpha had saved her ass as well, she didn’t give him much in the way of attitude or sarcasm.  She simply did what he said, and waited.

“I’m giving you, and _you alone_ my new number.  You tell Cas you have it and we’re gonna have problems.  I’ll never help you two idiots again.  I only want you contacting me if he’s dying, or if he honestly makes the choice to go to rehab and needs the money.  Otherwise, I don’t want to hear from either of you again.  You got it?”  Gabriel’s voice had dropped all pretense and was filled with true alpha as he spoke to her.

Which had Meg completely frozen, her eyes wide, but her head nodding.  “I got it.”

He rattled off the number, and told her to put it in her phone as some kind of food place Cas would never want to order from.

Before he could turn to leave, Meg had to reach out to grab his arm and say, “You’re not going to say goodbye?”

“What’s the point?”  Gabriel asked honestly. “He’s been a goddamn broken record all week.  All his ‘I’m sorry’s and ‘forgive me’s?  It’s not happening.  And if you care about him, like you say you do, you’re gonna have to be the one to take care of him from now on.  I told you.  I’m out.”

“He loves you, Gabe.”  Her voice was strangely pleading.  “I get it.  Gotta push him out of the nest.  He and I _both_ have put you through enough shit to last a lifetime.  I’m surprised you haven’t done it sooner.  But at least tell him goodbye?  It’s gonna hurt either way, but…” she couldn’t find the words, besides, “he _needs_ some kind of closure.”

He studied her.

Meg was always an anomaly.

She had a rough exterior, probably an upbringing of daddy issues which led her to the drugs and sex lifestyle surrounding his brother.  But she was also the only one he would even remotely trust his brother with.  Because he knew she was in love with him, would care for him.  And Cas would never feel the same about her.  Both of them knew it, actually, and Meg let herself be used.  So, maybe if he wasn’t doing this for his brother, he could at least do it for Meg.

Gabriel exhaled sharply and squared his shoulders as he walked towards the room.

When Balthazar caught sight of him, he backed out to give them their privacy.

Castiel’s eyes were wide as he stared, chewing his bottom lip.

Obviously, it had to be Gabriel to break the silence.

“Think you’ll ever give rehab a try?”

“Perhaps,” Cas replied slowly, “although, I don’t know how committed I’d be to it.”

If there was one thing Castiel always was, it was honest.  He never bullshitted, never lied or made empty promises.  What you saw was what you got.  He’d never even attempt to blow smoke up Gabriel’s ass, even if he could get away with it.  Both of them were honest with each other.  Which was why this hurt so damn much.

“Well.  Good luck in life, I guess.”  Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, because what the fuck was he supposed to say.  “I really hope you’re able to get your shit together, one day, Cas.”

“I told you, this was an isolated incident, I—”

“So you’ve been sayin’ all week.  Not gonna change my mind.  Don’t bother calling.  Got a new phone.  If you even _think_ about showing up at my apartment, I’ll move out of the city and you’ll never see me again, even if you manage to get sober.”  The alpha looked his brother up and down. “I can’t see you do this to yourself anymore.  Can only hope you snap out of it soon.  So, I hope I’ll see you then, Cas.”

When he turned his back to leave, he could hear his brother choke out a, “Thank you for everything,” that he knew he was trying so hard to keep even.

Although, it did make Gabriel pause.  

Just long enough to say, “At least I tried.”

On the way out, he walked by both Meg and Balthazar’s serious faces and crossed arms, who nodded as he passed.  His feet were heavy against the tile floor of the hospital hallway, and his signature was so harsh he almost tore the discharge paperwork when he signed Castiel out.

Everything was a blur on the way to his car, and when he arrived he had to sit down for a while.

He couldn’t tell if the farewell was a victory or a defeat.

However, he knew you had to get rid of your old life to begin a new one.

And he was more than ready to begin anew, without the baggage of his brother.

He wished him well, but too much was too much, and he honestly questioned why the hell he didn’t do it sooner.  When he started the car, and pulled out of the facility, all he could think about was going home to Sam.  And that thought alone brought a huge smile to his face—knowing he’d never have to leave him in the morning with fake notes about where he was.  Never have to skip town with random lies again.

They could take a real, honest, go at this.

It was then, Gabriel realized he had been _liberated_.

And it was about damn time.

\-------------

Halfway through the drive to his apartment, Sam got a crazy idea.  And then, his course immediately changed and he found himself parked at the strip club.  He didn’t know why he was here, he didn’t even know when Gabriel’s shift ended, he just missed him _too_ damn much.  He was prepared for the alpha’s teasing, but it didn’t matter.  As long as he got to see him.

Fighting his way through the crowd was more difficult than he thought, as Sam made his way to the bar.

He was running high on endorphins, now that he had made up his mind.

He wanted to take that leap of faith.  He wanted to have the conversation with Gabriel and he wanted to see if the alpha was willing to be apart of his rut with him.  He trusted him and, as Dean said, he decided he truly wanted to take it to the next level.

If only his fucking phone wasn’t ‘out of service’, his voicemail was disconnected, and all his texts were coming back with ‘error’ messages.  Maybe he broke it sometime between their last conversation and this shift?  It sucked he couldn’t give the other alpha the heads up, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t shown up here before.

Sam knew it was the weekend, it was going to be busy, so he had made the effort to text ahead to see if Gabriel could take a quick break for them to talk.  If not, he’d be all right hanging out at the bar, in between customers.  He just wanted to be with him, now.  Maybe that was the rut talking.  Shit.

The reason it was so hard to fight through the crowd was because all the omegas in the area were trying to come onto him.  Hell, even the strippers and topless waitresses were raising an interested eyebrow, despite their training to be ‘professional’ with customers.  Al-fucking-ready.  He should have worn some kind of blocker, he _knew it_ , but the point was, his mind and his body were both seeking out the other alpha.

He didn’t plan for this, he simply acted.

Knowing he was back in town?

Every part of his body needed Gabriel.

Soon, he found himself, (nearly grappling) for the edge of the bar, when a tall man looked up with an eyebrow quirked and chuckled, “You really look like you could use a drink.”

Sam’s eyes darted right and left and looked confused, while a shot was being poured in front of him.  “Where’s Gabriel?”

“Gabriel?”  The alpha echoed.  “I’m afraid I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“Gabriel.  He works here.  He’s a bartender.” Sam’s eyes furrowed up in confusion.  “He’s about this tall,” he made a gesture with his hand, “brown hair, outspoken, and—”

“Oh, you must mean Richard!”  The alpha’s eyes brightened in realization. “I’m afraid he’s not working today.  He’s been off all week on vacation, actually.  If you like, I can pass on a message?  I believe he’s back tomorrow.  What was your name?”

Sam’s entire body froze as he watched the man’s casual attitude and easy smile as he gave Sam the ‘be right back’ to help the next customer.  He felt sick to his stomach.

_Richard_?  On _vacation_?

Why the fuck…what the hell?  And where was he, if he said this was where he would be today?   He’s just come from Gabriel’s place, if he wasn’t there—

Sam glanced down to the shot ‘Zeke’ (yes, this man wore a name tag, and come to think of it, he’d _never_ seen Gabriel wear one) gave him, and tossed it back.

He felt like his knees were going to give out, because his heart had already dropped.  What was happening?  Why was this coworker so convinced...why was Gabriel lying to the bar?

Or was Gabriel lying to _him_?

He felt a hand wrap around his wrist and concerned eyes leaning close to him, as Zeke asked, “Are you alright, sir?  You look quite pale.  Do you need to sit down?”  He gestured to the barstool next to him.

“C-Can you get me a double?” His mouth was dry, as his mind began jumping to conclusions.

“Are you sure that’s what—”

“Yes,” he growled, “I...this just turned into a really shitty night.”

“Of course.”

As the man turned away, Sam pressed his palms into his forehead and tried to keep himself together.  What was going on?  First, Gabriel leaving for a week.  Then, him stating he’d be working a shift at the bar tonight.  And, not only was he not working, he was lying to _someone_ about his real identity, just when Sam was ready to take that goddamn fucking leap and now his head and his heart were both furious with him.

The question of ‘why’ kept repeating, over and over, in his head.

As the shot was slid towards him, Sam reached out but the other alpha wasn’t letting it go. He asked, “This doesn’t have anything to do with Richard, does it?”

“Does it matter?”  Sam couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice, “I’m a paying customer.”

“I know your scent,” Zeke tilted his head to the side, still unwilling to give up the glass.  “It clings to him.  You two...you’re together?  Why do you call him Gabriel?”

He finally grabbed the alcohol by sheer force alone, and through gritted teeth, commented, “Must be a middle name,” before tossing it all back.  A thought came to him.

Since the fucking alpha bartender wasn’t leaving—he kept watching him, kept waiting for something—while the other female bartender shot him annoyed looks and took over the patrons for him.  
  
“Is this club a franchise?” Sam asked, his voice even, hoping against hope.   
  
“No, we’re privately owned, why do you ask?”   
  
If possible, Sam felt even more disgusted, like he _actually_ was going to throw up, his fucking heart shattering into a million pieces after being so blatantly, and _easily_ , lied to and—

“What’s your name?”  His voice was imploring—it was honest, and something Sam didn’t need right now.

“Doesn’t matter,” Sam pulled out his wallet and threw down a twenty.  “Have a good n—”

This new alpha and his fucking long arms reached across and actually managed to grab Sam before he could make his exit.  Which had his inner alpha growling to break free.  He jerked out of the grip, and demanded, nearly shouting, “What the fuck do you want?!”

“I consider him a friend.”  He was purposefully not using either name, and keeping his voice docile, non-threatening.  “I feel something’s upset you, and if it’s been me that has caused a rift, tell me how I can—”

“No, just let me leave,” he snarled, eyes narrowed and posturing.

Finally, the man relented and nodded.

It was at that point, that he noticed there was a circle of people cleared away from him, scenting him and visibly afraid.  Needless to say, Sam had no problems, whatsoever, making his way outside the club.

\-------------

When Gabriel got back to his apartment, a huge smile formed across his face because he could scent Sam.  Not right now, but he could tell it was recent.

Which meant he’d been staying here, even after his brother had left.

Speaking of brother, Gabriel rolled his eyes as he took note of the alpha cologne Sam had given him the heads up about.  It didn’t matter.  Nothing could touch him, because he felt on top of the world.

The scent of his boyfriend was finally soaking into the walls, he was free of his own burden, and things were finally falling into place.  His plan was to take a shower, grab a bite to eat here and then head over to Sam’s.

Except, when he opened his fridge, there was _literally_ nothing in it.

Which made him frown.

Same with the pantry, and cabinets.

At least there was a candy bar left where he kept the dishes.

When he snatched it up, he realized it was surprisingly heavy, which made him frown.  But upon further inspection, there were two things attached to it.

The first, being a note.  Signed from the ‘big brother’ Gabriel had missed out on.

After unfolding the note, his eyes scanned the page, and he realized it was a recipe.  For what this man claimed to be Sam’s all-time-favorite dish.  There was a wad of money taped to it, with a ‘sorry I helped myself to your food’ and a key.  

To Sam’s apartment.

Since ‘ _he may be studying with the douche nozzle—you can surprise him,_ ’ and suddenly, Gabriel decided he really, _really_ liked this omega.

He had already put in Sam’s number, memorized, into his new phone and decided to call to see if that were the case.  When Sam didn’t answer, he tried one more time.

That would make sense.  Usually, the only time Sam wouldn’t pick up his phone, was when he was studying at Brady’s.  He paused, thoughtfully, then decided on it.  He was going to take the list to the grocery store, head over to Sam’s and surprise him with the meal.

If Sam was already there, he’d say he got out of work early, and if not, he’d have his ‘all-time-favorite-dish’ prepared for him, once he was done with the study sessions he was loathing these days.

With the key in his hand, and a bounce in his step, Gabriel couldn’t wait to surprise him.  

\--------------

Sam walked down the sidewalk in the summer heat carrying frustration and the beginnings of rut pheromones with no idea what to do.  He’d hoped to be at home, waiting for Gabriel to get done with work, but that wasn’t happening.  Now, another thing he was carrying was the beginnings of a buzz, along with an eminent breakdown.

And the buzz was the only thing that led in any sort of positive direction.

He didn’t want to go to the liquor store and pick something up to drown his sorrows.  Because then, he’d be trying to figure everything out in his brain.

No, he needed some kind of sensory overload.

A crowd to cloud his hearing, occupy his sight and to overwhelm his nose.

He knew the exact part of town he was already in, and he didn’t give two fucks about ducking into a random club.  He’d been here, maybe once.  He knew the booze was cheap, and that’s all that mattered.  So he headed right up to the bar to order.  But once he did, he scented someone familiar.

At the same time he was given his drink, a voice next to him perked up with, “Why, Sam.  Haven’t seen you in a while.”

And he finally turned around to face his long-lost (hopefully lost forever) friend.

“Lilith,” he took a sip of his drink and tilted his head, “didn’t know you were still around.”

“Of course I am.  You’re no longer in the right places,” she teased, running a finger down the length of his arm.  “Wow, you’re not smelling too hot.  What’s got you all bothered?”

She was exactly as he remembered her.  Gorgeous face, long, blonde hair and a touch too much make-up.  But that was the last thing your average alpha would normally notice.  Their eyes were usually too focused on her cleavage and skin-tight dresses.  She was friends with Ruby, and if Sam had any more alcohol in his system, he would have asked where she had disappeared to.  That was always one mystery he never had a answer for, something that niggled in the back of his brain he never knew if he wanted to know or not.

He shook his head with a snort, “Just had to remember the world is full of liars and fakes, is all.”

“Oh, is that all?”  She scooted closer to him, “Here’s a tip—never believe a word anyone says.  It’ll save you a lot of trouble.”

“Yeah.  I’m starting to figure that out now.”

“Mm,” she leaned in to scent him, but not enough to touch him. “Is that heartache or rut I scent on you?  Or a combination or the two?  Because I have to admit, it’s rather sexy.”

“Heartache is sexy?”  Sam laughed and finished his drink, gesturing to the bartender to fill his glass.  “That’s wrong, on so many levels.”

“Heartache makes you stronger, Sammy.”  It was practically a purr.  “ _Shots_ make you stronger, too.  Didn’t you know that?”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

“Can I join you, old friend?”

“Fuck it, why not?”

\-------------------

Lilith was always pushing the envelope with him.  Even around Ruby.  But the two were friends, so at the end of the night, everyone knew who was going home with whom.  This was a whole new ball game.  Sure, they enjoyed some laughs, talking about people in his past he’d hoped to keep buried, but knowing someone he could speak about them with was therapeutic, in it’s own right.

The only thing that put him off was when she physically came onto him.  When she tried to place a delicate hand on his thigh, wrap her arm through his, or the one time she scented him and brushed her nose against his throat.  That last one gave him a knee-jerk reaction.

She apologized, but then asked, “I thought you were heartbroken?”

But the more he drank, the more it felt like a huge mistake.  The more he wanted Gabriel’s side of the story and the more he hated being here with her.  Especially because she was exuding ‘interested, available omega,’ literally a day before his rut and his body was telling him it was all wrong.

“I’m pissed, yeah.  Really pissed.”

“Let’s go for a walk.  Maybe some fresh air will do you good,” she suggested, since they were paying as they went and the last of their bill was sitting out on the table.

Sam huffed a sigh and nodded.  He really needed a cigarette, too.

He was actually impressed, because they were going shot for shot (while hers were of the watered-down, fruity variety) she didn’t stumble in her heels, even though _he_ had to actively think about putting one foot in front of the other.  They walked through the front doors and out into the warm summer breeze.

While he was digging through his pack and walking, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him into an alleyway.  The heels gave her just enough height to yank him down and press her lips to his, tongue immediately licking along the crease, before he could push her away.

“Shit!  What the fuck are you doing?”  He yanked himself from her grip, wide eyed and confused.

“I’m helping you with some revenge,” she gave him an innocent pout. “Anyone who doesn’t treat you right doesn’t deserve you, Sam.  Not to mention your rut’s about to start any time,” her arm wrapped around his waist while she looked up at him, “my schedule is flexible.  I am, too.  I can—”

“No.” His movements were jarred, while he pulled away from her. “I didn’t mean to give you that impression, I just—”

“You need it.  You need _me_ ,” she emphasized, looking into his eyes. “You don’t want to spend your rut alone, do you?”

No, of course he didn’t, but he wasn’t going to spend it with her.

He couldn’t talk to her anymore.  She was one of those girls, like Ruby, who got into your head.  He needed to get away from her.  He marched out of the alley, ignoring her shouts and pleas from behind him and shakily withdrew the cigarettes he’d been trying to find in the first place.  And then dig for the buried lighter.

When he finally, thank Jesus Christ, found both, he looked at his cellphone to see he had three missed calls from an unknown number.  He ignored it.  For now, his plan was walking until he’d finished his smoke, then hail a cab.  Then, promptly pass the fuck out and deal with his rut alone for the next five days.  At least that would keep him preoccupied.

\--------------

It was hit and miss when he tried to a open the door, the lock was blurry, and his key just wasn’t cooperating with him...but _finally_ he got it open.

When he did, he was confused.

Very.  Very.  Confused.

Because not only was there the lingering scent of food, there was the scent of alpha, _his_ alpha, camped out, in front of the TV.

Who’s eyes were watching him since the second he stumbled in.

His brows were furrowed as he incredulously asked, “The fuck, Sam?”

“What are you doing here?”  It was the first thing he could figure to say.

“I cooked you a late dinner.  Your bro left a spare key and a note for me and I thought I’d surprise you.”  Gabriel was up and on his feet, now that he was beginning to catch a multitude of scents coming from Sam.  “When you weren’t back, I called you but you didn’t answer.  Guess you were too busy getting shit-faced.”

“Yeah, I was,” Sam wandered over to the coat rack, and put venom in the word, “ _Richard_.”

Which made Gabriel freeze up.

As he slowly thawed, he crossed his arms and commented, “See you went to my work.”

“Where you _said_ you’d be tonight.  And not only were you lying about _that_ , you’re lying about your name?  Who are you?  And your fucking club isn’t a franchise, so I know you weren’t ‘helping out another location’!  Where were you all week?  Why the fuck are you lying to me?!”  Sam demanded, his voice nearing a shout, “How much bullshit have you already sold me?!  How can I trust a goddamn thing that comes out of your mouth?!”

The next thing Sam knew, the wind was knocked out of him and he was shoved up against a wall, Gabriel pinning him there, scenting him.

And for the first time, Gabriel’s scent wasn’t something Sam craved more of.

It was something fucking _terrifying_.

It had him locked in place, unable to move, even if Gabriel wasn’t holding him there.

The true alpha’s words were very deliberate and cold, “So you decided to have someone _else_ on your mouth?”

“No.  She was being stupid and drunk, I pushed her off me.”  Sam’s words were choppy, the fear in his body echoed in his speech.  “She took advantage of the fact I was upset and about to start my rut.  I told her to fuck off and came home.”

“Your rut?”  Gabriel’s arms loosened on him, just slightly, the possessive notes in his scent never waning.

“I went to the bar because I couldn’t get a hold of you.” He hated he was word-vomiting, but that was just a fucking side-effect of being in front of a true alpha—you physically _couldn’t_ lie, not while you were in their clutches.  “I was going to ask you if you’d wanna spend it with me.  Now?  That’s another fucking story.”

When he released his grip, Gabriel had the full intention of grabbing Sam so he didn’t hit the floor.  Gabriel hadn’t foreseen the other alpha shoving him away, and tumbling down anyway, without his support.  

He cursed himself, and fell to his haunches, reaching out to cup the younger man’s face and urging, “Sam?”

“Get out.”

“Stop, _please_ .  I’m sorry, I just—” Gabriel urged, knowing he’d let the scent of the female omega all over Sam get the best of him—he just couldn’t control himself when it came to the kid, he cared _too fucking much_.  “Will you eat?  I made your favorite, your brother wrote up the recipe in the note, and it’s just warming in oven—”

Finally, Sam snapped up to look at him, his eyes wild, and ordered, “I said _get out_!”

“Jesus,” Gabriel groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face, his scent taking abrupt twists and turns, when he reached out, “here, get off the floor, we need to talk.”

But Sam slapped his hand away, shakily pushing himself up, after a second attempt.  “There’s _nothing_ to talk about!  You’re a liar, you’re keeping secrets from me, and I don’t know _what_ to believe!  I thought we had something good, something fuckin’ _great,_ but of course it was too good to be true.  Of _course_ , I’d fall head over heels for another manipulative—”

“I’m _nothing_ like her!”  Gabriel couldn’t help but shouting back.  “And I’m not fucking leaving until I get to say my piece!”

“Yeah, not like I have a choice.”  There was a hateful spite in his voice as he tried to dodge Gabriel and keep on his own two feet. “Since you can use your fuckin’ biological advantage however you want.”

“Sam—” his voice deflated a bit, but it was still holding steady and stern. “I have reasons why I use that name at the bar.  Reasons I had to leave this week.  Reasons that I’d be more than willing to discuss with you, when you’ve calmed down and you’re sober.  I’m not gonna use my ‘biological advantage’ shit, but I _will_ be a stubborn asshole, because you saying you’re falling for me?  That’s mutual, kid, and I ain’t about to give that up.”

He was standing strong, clenching his fists at his sides to keep him from reaching out and grabbing Sam, like he wanted to do so badly.  Because he _never_ wanted to make him feel like this, and it was tearing Gabriel up.  But right now, Sam was in the state he knew the kid wouldn’t hesitate to throw a punch.  Even though he admittedly deserved it.

Gabriel had to continue with his words, and hoped they got through to him.

“I was thinking about you all goddamn week.  Counting down the days ’til I’d get back.  I missed the hell out of you, and I was excited as shit to see you.  I tried calling you tonight, ’cause I trashed my phone and had to get a new one, but you never responded.  I’ve been here, waiting for you and if you went out of your way to go find me at the bar, I gotta assume you were pretty excited to see me, too.”  He exhaled sharply. “This is a shitty way for the night to turn out.  And I’ll leave you alone.  But I’d tell you anything you wanna know, if you ask.  Now’s not the time, because all you’re gonna do is yell at me, but…” he hesitated, because Sam’s glare was a force of nature, but he had to get it out, “don’t throw this away.”

He knew this was his cue to leave, now that he’d said his piece.

Sam wasn’t calming down, his scent wasn’t changing, he was too far gone within his own head and drunken haze to be thinking clearly.

So, Gabriel grabbed his coat, set the key Sam’s brother had left him on the entryway table and gave Sam one more thing to think on:

“Please, eat some of that before you go to sleep.  And, yeah, I’d spend your rut with you in a heartbeat.”

Then, he was gone from the apartment, and Sam was left alone.  Like he’d asked for.  But nothing about it felt all right.


	11. Chapter Ten

Gabriel could never have imagined that Sam would have visited the bar.  Let alone ask questions.  Not in a million years.  But, fuck, he should have taken into account every angle.  He should have prepared for this—prepared for any scenario as he had in the past.  He’d gotten sloppy in the hopes of a new life.

Who would have known that hope and getting rid of his past would be the thing to fuck him over.

He drove home with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, letting nothing but the feeling of defeat overwhelm him.

He had gone from cloud nine to rock bottom in the course of ten minutes, possibly less.

Shit.

He should have told Sam he was getting a new phone.  He should have said he was coming straight home.  He shouldn’t have lied.

No.  If there was one thing that couldn’t have been avoided it was keeping the skeleton that was his brother locked in his closet.  Because that’s where he belonged.  Locked away, out of his life, for good.

But if the knowledge of Castiel had caused Gabriel to lose Sam forever...?

Gabriel was cutting off that train of thought right now, because he wasn’t going to let that happen.

Goddamnit, it was at the worst possible time.

It wasn’t like he could give the other alpha a few days to calm down and then come back, begging and pleading.

No.  Sam was going to be starting his rut tomorrow, and the days he’d planned to be begging and pleading would be when he was in the thick of his cycle.  The younger alpha would no longer hold the ability for logic and rationale, he’d be a slave to his own body and that’s it.

And…he’d come to the bar to ask Gabriel to spend that time with him.

Just the mere thought, fight aside, _meant_ something.

It struck something so deep in Gabriel’s heart to know Sam trusted him that much—that he wanted him to be apart of it.  It was a huge step.  A massive step that he had so much faith in Gabriel and their relationship, and Sam had been ready to take that leap.

And Gabriel had ruined it.  All of it.

How the fuck was he going to put these pieces back together?

Because he _would_ .  If it was the last fucking thing he did.  Gabriel had found something he wanted to hold on to, and he _wasn’t_ letting it go.  Not by a long shot.

He _refused_ to give this up, there was no way in hell.

He’d make this work.  Even though he had no idea where to _begin_ picking up the pieces.  Even if it looked hopeless right now he would find a way.

\-----------

Gabriel had no idea what the fuck to do when his world literally came crashing down around him.  He had always been in control, he’d always devised a contingency plan ahead of time.  However, falling for Sam wasn’t something he had ever accounted for.  And when it came down to it, this week left him benched.  He decided the only thing he really could do was go through the motions of a world without the other alpha in it.  At least until he finished his rut, and then Gabriel fully intended to bring him back, even if it was kicking and screaming.

Going through the motions happened to include work.

He wasn’t sure what to expect when he came back.  Before heading to the hospital, he fed his boss a bullshit story about why he needed the week off and who knows what Sam had done or said while he was here.  Gabriel clocked in, shoved his belongings into his locker and took a deep breath.

This was when he had to build his mask back up and glue it on.

He was good at this.

He’d been doing it for so long, before he met Sam, it came as a second nature after Kali.  Yet, he’d allowed it to slip lately because he’d been so friggin happy.  He had no idea he’d have to be constructing it again, because of heartache, this soon.

Or, at least he prayed he wouldn’t have to.

It was a closing shift, and he’d arrived ten minutes before seven to get back into the zone.  He hadn’t eaten in two days, because that’s how fucking devastated he was.

That didn’t mean there wasn’t a surplus of baked goods splayed out on the counter tops and filling up his fridge at home.  All of them were untouched.  One of the only things that calmed him down in situations like this was baking.  He didn’t know where the fuck he had gotten the strange habit from, but it was somehow therapeutic.  If only he had someone to eat all the crap.

Maybe he’d bring the cupcakes into work tomorrow.

If only to clear counter space.  Because, God knows, he’d need it.

He was just about to go on to the floor when Zeke was walking into the back, his eyes drilling holes into Gabriel’s head like he was on a mission.

“Richard.”  His voice was serious—more serious than normal, if possible—as he said, “We need to talk.”

Oh, shit.  This was _not_ what he needed right now.  He tried to sidestep the man, saying, “Dude, I’m about to start my shift, can it wait?”

“No, it can’t.”  He reached out and grabbed the alpha’s arm.

It took everything in Gabriel not to snap at the contact and shove Ezekiel down to the goddamn floor.  Have him pinned with his face smashed up against the wood at his mercy, because that’s what his inner alpha was screaming at him to do.  Instead, he jerked out of the grasp and shot him a glare.

“All right, if the boss yells at us—”

“I apologize,” the man gushed out immediately. “I believe your mate was here the other night, and I may have upset him.”

“He’s not my mate—” was the first thing out of his mouth, which didn’t make sense.  Why was _that_ the part he felt the need to address first?

“Oh?”  The man raised an eyebrow. “You two smell—”

“It doesn’t matter how we smell!”

Gabriel didn’t know why he was raising his voice and lying, because it _did_ matter if they smelled mated.  It mattered a hell of a lot, but all he could think about was the _confrontation_ and how he probably lost the man he—

“It’s worse than I thought.”  Zeke said it mostly to himself before he reached out again, this time for Gabriel’s hands.  “I don’t know what I said to upset him so much and I’m truly sorry.  I didn’t realize until I met him just how special what you two have is, but it clings to you, it—”

“Well, we’re done.  Maybe he gives me another chance, but that’s a _huge_ maybe—”

“He _will_.”  The man squeezed his hands tightly. “He will give you another chance.  I don’t know the specifics of what happened, but if he’s upset with you, give him space.  He’ll come to his senses soon.”

“I—” Gabriel didn’t know why he was saying this.  “I fucked up, Zeke.  I fucked up and I don’t know if there’s salvaging it.”

“You didn’t see him last night.”  His voice was calm.  “The light in his eyes when he was looking for you.  The pure joy at the chance you were working.  That man is enamored, I know.  And that’s why I can’t forgive myself for—”

“No, it’s not you, don’t blame yourself.”  When Zeke let him go, Gabriel scrubbed a hand down his face.  “I made my bed.  I got caught up in something and…fuck.”

“I’m here for you,” he offered, carefully.  “Anything you need, all right?  I wish to make amends.  I don’t want you to lose out on that.  I told you, it’s special.  So you tell me what you need, and it’s yours.”

When Gabriel looked up to meet his gaze, he realized just how much Ezekiel was set on this.  The alpha didn’t have it in him to dodge him anymore.  So he sighed heavily and shrugged, if only to appease the man he’d grown close enough to to call a friend.  Not knowing his real name, aside.

“Thanks.  I, uh, appreciate it.”

“We’ll make this right, I promise, Richard.”

And, once again, the whole situation was laughable.

But it brought the tug of a smile to Gabriel’s face, so he nodded and suggested, “Let’s get back on the floor and make some dough tonight, yeah?”

“Yes.  We can do that.”

\------------

It only took three days for Sam to snap.

And he blamed it on his hormones.  That’s what was needing, craving, demanding he seek out the other alpha.  There was nothing he could do about it.  Sam wasn’t sure if it was because he’d already made up his mind about spending it with Gabriel or how, despite everything, he was still hoping against hope he was wrong about him.  That there was some kind of explanation, that there was—

It didn’t matter.

This rut was killing him slowly, and the words ‘I’d spend your rut with you in a heartbeat’ kept playing on repeat in his head.

He couldn’t think about his heart, because right now his rut was in charge and it was demanding release in a way he, himself, couldn’t keep up with.  Which had him reaching for the phone.

It was getting close to midnight, but no matter what he did he couldn’t tire himself out.  He couldn’t sleep, he was a slave to his constantly aching, desperate body.  Sam knew even though he had barely slept the last two nights, tonight would be the biggest challenge because he was at the peak of it all.  The goddamn pinnacle of this five-day hell.

The other alpha answered after the second ring, his voice a combination of caution and attentiveness, “Sam?”

“Get over here.”  Those words strung together were the only ones he could come up with that didn’t hold a double-edge.

“Are you sure?”

_Of_ fucking _course_ , he’d ask that.

“I called you, didn’t I?”  His voice was terse as he ordered, “Don’t make me ask again.”

“I’m on my way.”

After the call disconnected, Sam knew there was no going back.  He knew Gabriel would come running.  And he didn’t know why that affected him so much.  Although the fact the alpha _was_ coming went right to his already throbbing cock, the fact he was still so _willing_ to drop everything for him went to Sam’s goddamn _heart_.

But he had to throw all those thoughts away.  It couldn’t be about _them_ , this was a means to an end.  Sam needed to think of this as using Gabriel, as the alpha had used him.  He needed to get something out of this, right?

That’s all this was.  Collecting.

Sam hoped to God he could stay true to those sentiments.

The knock on the door caught him off guard, because he must have been overly distracted between the mental states of denial and bargaining.  It boomed through his otherwise silent apartment, and he was on his feet before he knew it.

Sam flew from his bedroom, through the hallway and to the front door in the blink of an eye.  He didn’t even bother to look through the peephole, before he threw the door open.

He grabbed Gabriel by the collar and hauled him inside, shoving him against the nearest hard surface and plastering his body against the other alpha’s.  Gabriel’s hands felt cool against his fevered flesh and his lips tasted amazing, and his brain couldn’t comprehend why the alpha was pulling away—

“Sam,” he tried, scenting his neck with a heavy breath, “can we please talk—”

“I don’t want you here for talking,” he growled, ripping Gabriel’s coat away and peeling his shirt off, “I want you here for fucking.”

“I know, I know,” Gabriel assured him, and helped the younger alpha pull his clothes off, “and that’s all fine and dandy, but you need to understand—”

“Shut up!”  Sam finally shouted, because this _wasn’t_ what he wanted.  “If you’re not going to—”

“Oh, I _am_.  The way you smell right now?  Jesus Christ, Sammy.  I’ve never scented _anything_ this amazing in my life.”

The breath was knocked out of Sam’s lung as Gabriel lunged forward and hauled him up and over his shoulder.  He was shocked to find himself upside down, being carried through the hallway and then thrown across his bed.  Like the stunned animal, he froze up as Gabriel pinned him down, yet the display of strength was ridiculously arousing.  Somehow, it had Sam harder than he had been this whole rut.  

_That_ was saying something.

“I don’t care if you want to hear it or not,” Gabriel’s grip on his wrists was enough to leave bruises, as he hissed, “you’re gonna listen.”

And, for the first time, Sam found himself battling to get out of his hold.  This wasn’t what he wanted, this wasn’t—

“Look at me,” Gabriel growled, using his true alpha voice that had Sam freezing, and obeying without a choice.  “I’m gonna take care of you.  I’m going to do whatever you want, however you want it.  But it’s not because I’m here for the sex, no matter how fucking delicious you look.  I’m here because I love you.”  He paused just enough for the words to sink in. “And you need to know that.”

Even though he was already locked up from Gabriel’s iron-like grip, the words drained the momentary fight he had left.

This was not the way he’d expected this to go.

This wasn’t something he was prepared for in a million goddamn years.

And…he had no idea what to do.

But Gabriel did.  It seemed he’d planned on this, planned on Sam’s stupor as he let go of his wrists and climbed down the other man’s body to rip his boxers off.  This was something Gabriel needed to get off his chest—he wasn’t looking for an answer or response—he wanted to get the words out in the open.  Because now he was eagerly swirling his tongue around the head of Sam’s cock.

He arched into the touch, the blood in his veins running hotter as Gabriel took him into his mouth.  And then down his throat.

“Jesus!” Sam hissed, and couldn’t keep his hips still.

He wanted this, he _needed_ this—the feel of another body—and Gabriel’s hot mouth was already doing the trick.  It felt perfect, the pressure around his dick and the pace Gabe was setting.  Sam was grabbing handfuls of his hair for leverage; he was completely lost to the sensation.

Gabriel only pulled away once, demanding, “Knot my mouth,” when his lips had already coaxed it past the base.

Goddammit, he knew Sam so well.  Knew the younger alpha would have told him to pull away.  But right now with Gabriel ordering him to cum down his throat?  Fuck, he was riding right on the brink.

He couldn’t stay silent.  The suction, the way Gabriel took his entire cock each and every time—

Sam was tossing his head back, and could feel Gabriel’s mouth move as he swallowed down every bit of Sam’s cum.  He kept his mouth wrapped around the pulsing knot until Sam’s breathing evened out, then lapped at it tenderly.

When the younger alpha finally dropped his arms and looked down to Gabriel, it was to see a mischievous glimmer in the man’s eye.  Which meant nothing good.

Gabriel’s hand reached up to loosely fist the shaft of Sam’s dick while he began enthusiastically sucking at his knot.  His hand glided easily through the mess of saliva as he jerked Sam off, leaving him a desperate and whining mess, shooting cum down Gabriel’s throat a second time.

Although, with his knot already swollen and thick, it wasn’t as neat and tidy as the first round.  Some ended up on Gabriel’s face and hand, while some gushed past his mouth to Sam’s stomach.

Sam’s brain was fuzzy at the edges as he came back down to see Gabriel licking away all traces, leaving him clean if not sweaty.  

He wiped his fingers through the cum on his face before it could dry and zealously lapped his digits, humming out, “Love the way you taste, Sammy.”

All right, maybe it _was_ something good—Sam’s exhausted and sated body wasn’t complaining one bit.  Not to mention the show before him was all kinds of sexy.  Even though he knew he’d finally be able to sleep and hopefully his rut would be contented for the night, the image of marking Gabriel like that?  It was something he wanted to do again.  Next time, it wouldn’t be by accident.

Then, right when he was on the edges of his first real sleep in three days, the other man’s voice perked up:

“Do you want me to go and come back tomorrow?”

It was whispered and hesitant.  A tone he could have never expected for Gabriel and he decidedly _hated_ it.

“No.”

His answer was immediate.  Sam didn’t want to explain himself.  But having the warmth of Gabriel’s body just out of range wouldn’t do right now.  So he figured he’d have to do the work, reaching out and grabbing the other alpha as he moved to his side.

As Gabriel wrapped his arms around him from behind, Sam could finally relax.  He craved his heat, the way their bodies formed together _just_ so, and he could finally sink bonelessly into the mattress.  He was finished being isolated, being alone in this and he _needed_ the touch of another.

No.  That was bullshit.

He needed _Gabriel_.

Sam wouldn’t say those words out loud, there was no way in hell.

But hearing Gabriel’s confession—that he loved him?

Sam wouldn’t let him go.  Something inside him, whether it be himself or the animal, wasn’t going to let him leave after that.

If he had heard it a week ago, he would have rejoiced.  He would have been the happiest alpha in the fucking world, but now…this was all they had.

Silence.  

Lies and betrayal between them.  Things Sam was willing to ignore because his rut demanded it.

But somewhere deep down, he knew there was a part of him that loved Gabriel just as much.  And maybe, just maybe, he could pretend.  Let himself get lost in the uncontrollable flames of lust and let them be…them again.

It was easy to pretend, as Gabriel nuzzled up against Sam’s neck to scent him, then placed a single kiss there, before his hushed voice said, “Sweet dreams.”

\-----------------------

When Sam woke up, he was surrounded in the scent of Gabriel’s true alpha.  The man obviously didn’t grab his blockers when he came last night due to Sam’s hasty call, and they’d worn off during the full night’s rest they’d both gotten.  Sam wasn’t sure if this was a good or a bad thing, because his body was instantly reacting to the scent.

On a normal day, the pure power and essence that was Gabriel’s natural scent was alluring, but now that he was in the middle of his rut it was completely different.

Jesus, he was rock hard and about to start humping into the mattress.

All because he was engulfed in Gabriel’s scent.

The other alpha was still asleep to the best of Sam’s knowledge, and that was alright for the moment.

The synapses in Sam’s brain were firing in all fucking directions and he couldn’t understand it.  His body had been craving a warm hole to knot last night and Gabriel’s mouth had felt amazing, but the thing that was confusing the hell out of him was that his body had turned against him.  Now, he was craving Gabriel’s knot.

But…that _wasn’t_ how this worked.

The only thing that would make a modicum of sense was the fact that Gabriel was superior.  Sam’s body naturally wanted to submit.  And in some biological way, his body’s need for sex _changed_ along with the natural order.  He was suddenly on the bottom of the totem pole.  Although Sam knew Gabriel would do anything he wanted, his body had already assessed the situation, figured out everything based on scent alone, and was ready to bow down to Gabriel’s alpha.

A whimper escaped his throat because all that made a sick kind of sense.

He didn’t know if he was onboard with it or not, but it didn’t matter, because Gabriel was stirring from where he was holding him from behind.

There were no words.  His hands soothed over Sam’s toned stomach where they had been resting, and he immediately scented his neck.  Which pulled a breathy moan from Gabriel’s throat, before he began sucking the sensitive flesh there.  His hand grabbed at Sam’s hips, grinding against his ass, and it was then Sam remembered Gabriel never even got off last night.

He’d given Sam the best blowjob of his life and then Sam let the alpha fall asleep while he happily relaxed, wrapped in Gabriel’s arms.  And now, both their aroused scents were intermingling and spurring each other’s on—the intensity growing by the second based on olfactory reactions _alone_.

Gabriel was only caressing him gently, but Sam was on fire from the contact.

He tilted his chin back to capture Gabriel’s lips, drawing them away from his neck and into a real kiss.

The other alpha returned it eagerly, gently tugging Sam to face him and pull their bodies closer.  However, Sam didn’t know where to go from here.  He was so lost.

What was he supposed to say?  What was he supposed to do?  Was Gabriel waiting for him to make a move?  Because…his body wasn’t _letting_ him.  His body was forcing him to follow Gabriel’s lead and his cock was pulsing from arousal and neglect.

All Sam could do was reach for him, try and pull him closer, but it _had_ to be his alpha to—

His alpha?

Goddammit.

“Sam,” Gabriel finally whispered against his cheek.  “Tell me what you want.”

“I-I…”

Could he say it?

Could he actually form the words, now that their trust had all but been destroyed?  This wasn’t like last time.  Shit.

“Need you inside me—”

Gabriel pulled away to look at him in confusion because of Sam’s frantic demand, almost with disbelieving eyes, while he slowly pronounced, “I told you I’d take care of you, you can fuck me—”

“No!”  He snapped, shaking his head.  “It’s your _scent_ .  My friggin body already made up it’s mind for me,” he finally admitted without making eye contact.  “I-I _couldn’t_.  I want you to.  I need you to—”

“Shit.”  Gabriel’s voice was torn between lust and his own brand of frustration. “I should have brought my blockers, I didn’t want you to have to—”

“I’m not ‘having’ to do anything,” Sam spat back in a low voice, “but I’m horny as fuck, and if you don’t start doing something about it, why are you here?”

Gabriel had the nerve to chuckle.

Which made Sam narrow his eyes with a biting retort on the tip of his tongue, until he found himself with a face full of mattress.  The other alpha had hauled his ass up in the air and was taunting him, “Oh, I’m here to take care of you.  And I’m thrilled with the fact that I get to taste you again, Sammy.”

A shiver ran down the younger alpha’s spine as Gabriel’s tongue circled his opening.  He wasn’t teasing him.  Not this time.  He recognized the urgency of this rut and everything that it meant.  He was eagerly taking the job Sam had given him, and was licking him open with an enthusiastic tongue.  One that had Sam bucking back against him and moaning out.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any lube, would you?”  Gabriel asked as he worked a single finger inside.

While it was distracting as all hell, Sam was still able to nod, “Yeah, top drawer,” without being embarrassed.

He seemed to be surprised and paused before moving, so Sam did it for him.  He pushed off the mattress and yanked open the drawer to grab a brand-new bottle of lube to toss over at Gabriel.

Then, just because he _could_ , he remarked, “I told you I was planning on spending my rut with you.”

When Sam scented a hint of hurt and even more heartache in Gabriel’s scent, he felt a perverse satisfaction.  The other alpha took a second to rip past the seal, and Sam was impatient.  So he made a show of rolling his hips in the ‘get on with it’ way, as he took his cock into his own hand.

A growl erupted from Gabriel’s chest, along with the pop of the cap.  Then, there was a hand wrenching Sam’s away.

“You said you wanted my cock, didn’t you?”  There was a fierce possession tied up in his words, “You’re going to get it.  And you’ll cum on it.  Don’t you dare fucking touch yourself.”

Sam had to bite his lip to keep from moaning because, sue him, Gabriel getting all riled up like this was a turn-on.

He obviously had to taunt back, “So get on with it.”

Two slick fingers twisting past his entrance was enough to turn his biting comments into a breathless gasp.  He wasn’t expecting the other alpha to be so brutal.  But it was all worth it, as he found his sweet spot with practiced ease.

Sam’s body thrummed with energy and he swiveled his hips back for more.  He didn’t care if it burned, he didn’t care if he wasn’t ready.  Every fucking molecule in his biology was begging for Gabriel’s cock—for his knot—and he was going to fight for it.  So he resorted to even more provoking.

“Come on, I know you wanna fuck me.  Hurry up, Gabriel.  I’m not gonna break.”

When he worked in a third finger, Sam had to bite his cheek because, yeah, it did hurt a little.  The last few days had been a constant party-for-two with his hand and his cock.  And it wasn’t like he could finger himself when his brother was visiting.  It had been a while, and he was feeling it.

Gabriel could, too, as he quipped back, “Can’t break you on the first round, kid.  I’m gonna be pounding your sweet ass for the next two days.”

And, all right, Sam admitted he had a point.  If Gabriel split him open, no matter how much it hurt, he’d still beg for it later.

He just wanted it _now_.

He didn’t want to wait, he—

“Relax.  Then I’ll get to fuck you that much sooner.”  His words were whispered surprisingly close to Sam’s ear as he tried to push a forth finger beyond the tight rim.  “It takes two, babe.”

Sam knew that, he fucking knew that, and he was trying.  He was taking in deep breathes in an attempt to relax his body, and finally Gabriel’s slicked-up finger joined the other three buried deep inside his ass.  The stretch was that pleasure-with-pain kind of burn, and he kept telling himself they were close...

So close to becoming one hot, messy, desperate creature.

“All right,” Gabriel plunged his fingers in and out until the resistance was minimal.  “I don’t care how much of a knothead you’re being right now, if it hurts, you better tell me.”

His voice left no room for discussion, so Sam nodded and gulped.

When the digits were pulled out of him, Sam was waiting as he heard the click of the bottle and the obscene noise of Gabriel slathering lube all over his cock.  Sam wished he could watch.  It was no secret he was obsessed with Gabriel’s cock—the length and girth—he almost wanted to flip around so he could see every one of those inches sinking into his body.

But he was ready.

More than ready, as he felt the slippery, thick head circle his rim before the other alpha’s hand grabbed Sam’s hips to steady him.  With a deep breath, he pushed past the tight (almost too tight) opening to Sam’s body, and Gabriel got lost in the grip around his cock.

When he bottomed out he groaned, “Jesus, you feel like a virgin again.”

Sam was too busy catching his breath to respond.  He wanted it but he couldn’t ask for it yet, because—fuck—it was _overwhelming_.  The stretch, it burned, but the way Gabriel pitched forward and kissed every part of his body his mouth could reach helped.  It helped a whole hell of a lot.

It was then, the words ‘I love you’ crashed down upon him like a hailstorm.

Because that’s what Gabriel was showing him—love, in every sense of the word.

But that’s _not_ what Sam wanted.  He couldn’t let himself fall into that pit, he wouldn’t let himself.  Because who knows if he’d ever be able to climb out.

So he rocked back and ordered, “Fuck me, Gabriel.”

“Sam,” his voice was low and warning, “you’re not ready—”

“Yes, I am.”  His words were snipped, if not strained.  “C’mon.  Need it.  Don’t you want to knot me?”  He began to set his own rhythm, pushing himself back on Gabriel’s dick, “Fill me up with your cum?  I know you’ve thought about it.  I have, too.  And, Jesus, it’s all I want right now.  So why don’t you _fucking move?”_

His voice was growing in intensity, pitched over his shoulder to the other alpha, and finally, he gave in.

Sam was already tempting him, luring him in, and there was only so much Gabriel could take.  

He snapped his hips forward into the younger alpha’s body, following the pace Sam had already set, the grip around his cock overwhelming.  He had no idea how long he was going to last.  Especially, with the noises Sam was making, the way he was tossing his head back and bucking into every thrust.

Sam’s body seized and hips swiveled when he found his prostate and Gabriel finally had a goal.  He shifted to perfect his aim, because his knot was swollen at the base of his cock and there wasn’t much time.

He needed to make Sam cum, and quickly.

However, he was called out on it, with a sharp, “You’re gonna fill me, Gabe,” growled back over to him.

Gabriel tried to shake his head, tried to fuck the other alpha incoherent, but Sam was having none of that.

Between rough, punched out thrusts, Sam ordered him, “Knot me.  You’re getting there, you _won’t_ pull out.  I _won’t_ let you-”

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” Gabriel snarled in return, his thrusts growing shallower, but still nailing Sam’s sweet spot, because he could hear the heady moans.

“If you don’t knot me, you’re _leaving_ ,” he spat out the ultimatum.  “I thought you loved me.”

Sam had a patronizing drawl as he used his words against him, sitting back and halting Gabriel’s movements as he ground down against the rapidly forming knot.

There was a moment in time that stood still, only Sam’s hips gyrating as he asked, “What’ll it be?”

He’d tilted his head back far enough to meet Gabriel’s eyes.  A fire was blazing between them, and Gabriel had a war going on inside his head.  Sam wanted this so badly, he could pick it apart in every note of his scent.  He was begging him—bartering with him—even threatening him.

So Gabriel shoved him back over until his face was against the mattress and started pounding into him with a renewed vigor, demanding, “You want my knot that bad, Sammy?”

“That’s w-what I said.”  The younger man had trouble forming words, because Gabriel was relentless.

As his knot started catching on his rim, Sam began mewling and nodding eagerly, spreading his legs further as an invitation.  But Gabriel was at the point of no return.

Of fucking course he wanted this.  He’d dreamed about it.  But he didn’t want to make Sam feel any less of an alpha.  Didn’t want to make him bend over and take it, but that’s all Sam wanted to do.  He was grabbing at the sheets, while Gabriel was digging his fingers into Sam’s hips.

There wasn’t anything romantic or sweet about this.

It was about Sam almost blackmailing him.  Making him prove, in a sick, twisted way that he would do anything for him.  But, Jesus, he hoped when the alpha was out of his rut he didn’t regret it.

Sam was shouting out as the assault on his prostate savagely milked an orgasm out of him, and the squeeze around Gabriel and his rapidly forming knot was too much.  He shoved his cock deep inside Sam, grinding and shifting his hips as his knot swelled and he blew his load inside Sam’s body.  And, fuck, if it wasn’t some kind of exhilarating _completion_.

This _didn’t_ feel like any other time he got off.  No—it went so far _beyond_ that.

Gabriel didn’t care if Sam was in it just for the sex, he needed to kiss him.  He need to kiss every inch of his body he could reach, the need more dire than fucking him had been.

Sam’s voice was hoarse as he arched his back and forcefully groaned, “ _Again_ , need to feel your cum stretching me—”

And just when Gabriel was going to draw the line, Sam shoved him backwards, flat on his back, and began riding him until he had no other choice but to arch helplessly upward.  He cursed and shouted out in the room as Sam pulled another orgasm from him, while he jerked himself off.  This time, at least, they came together.

Gabriel reached up to steady Sam where he was still straddling his hips and heaving a long sigh.  Slowly, he helped the younger alpha lay back, so he was resting against Gabriel’s chest, before he maneuvered them over one more time.  They were laying side by side unfortunately at the foot of the bed, far away from the pillows.  Sam kept shifting, and Gabriel was worried he had hurt him, that it was too much, that it—

“It’s fine.”  Sam had seemed to read his mind and in a happy, post-orgasmic haze, mumbled, “Feels good.  Feels right...”

And Gabriel couldn’t argue with that.

He was still having trouble putting together the pieces of how he, himself, had ended up knotted inside an alpha in rut, but he wasn’t going to sweat the details.  Because Sam’s words resonated.  It _did_ feel right.  Even if he hadn’t wanted to, he was glad Sam was so fucking pushy and demanding.  Although, using his words against him left a bad taste in his mouth.

That part, he decidedly _hated_.  But maybe he deserved it.  He deserved anything Sam dished out, because he’d been the one to hurt him.  Gabriel would do anything to make it better, and if these were the steps he’d suck it up.

How ironic, because ‘forced to knot the one you love’ was considered ‘doing anything to make it better’.  The situation was a mess.

Everything was fucked, but as long as he was with Sam he was happy.

He didn’t know if this was any road to redemption, but he knew Sam’s scent was content.  He wasn’t going to waste another opportunity.

The way Sam had said the word ‘love’ made him sick, and he didn’t want it coated in the venom Sam had used.  He wanted it to remain pure—the way Gabriel felt it—and he wasn’t going to let it stew in that negativity.

He wasn’t sure if Sam was still awake or not, using his arm as a pillow.

Still, Gabriel wanted to give it light, to give meaning to the words again.

Figuring he had nothing to lose, he whispered, “I love you, Sam,” against his neck before scenting him and kissing his shoulder.  Hopefully, they’d get through to him.

And hopefully, Sam getting his frustration and aggression out would do them both some good.  Because Gabriel wanted _his_ Sam back, and he’d do whatever it took to find him again.

\-------------

The second time Sam woke up, it was to the scent of an amazing breakfast.  Thank God day four of his rut was giving him a break, because he didn’t wake with the overwhelming need for sex.  Maybe it had to do that the fact the alpha was providing for him and his stupid fucking brain thought that was more important?

Who cared.

He was able to get out of bed, rinse off in the shower and pull on a pair of clean pajamas before heading to the kitchen.

When he got there, he was a little shocked to see a full spread.  French toast, eggs, hash browns, bacon, orange juice—things he knew for certain he did _not_ have in his pantry.

Gabriel noticed Sam’s scent immediately but hesitated to look back.  Instead, he finished up the plate of French toast and admitted, “I snuck out while you were sleeping and made a grocery run.  Something tells me you weren’t exactly focusing on food the last few days.”

Of course, he was right.

Sam could barely drag himself out of bed to get water, the thought of eating the last thing on his mind.  Which may have been part of the reason he’d called Gabriel.  He was weak.  He couldn’t take care of himself and needed someone else to do it.  Although at the time, all he was thinking about was fucking, but _this_ was also a perk.

He was friggin famished and sat down at the table immediately, practically inhaling the food.

Per usual, Gabriel’s cooking was amazing.  Not _just_ because he was ravenous, but because of Gabriel’s culinary skills.  He didn’t bother to hide his happy and appreciative noises as he ate, and barely noticed that when Gabriel sat down he was strangely neutral.

Like he had something on his mind.

Still, the alpha held off and let them both enjoy breakfast.

Gabriel didn’t eat as much as he did, so he finished first and cleared his throat.

“Keep eating, I need to say something.”

Sam glanced up for half a second and rolled his eyes, showing how much he _didn’t_ want him to say whatever bullshit was about to come out of his mouth, but he was in the middle of the bacon.  And nothing was going to stop him from mowing down on the bacon.

The alpha’s scent was nervous when he finally pronounced, “The reason I wasn’t at the bar was,” he huffed a sigh and shook his head,  “I was saying goodbye to someone.”

The younger alpha paused, because that could mean a hell of a lot of things.  But he was intrigued.  So he let Gabriel continue speaking.

“I know I should have told you sooner, but I have a brother.  A younger brother.  I’ve been trying to take care of him for God knows _how_ long, but I reached my limit.  It was getting to the point that his life was overshadowing mine and he needs to get his shit together.  But it has to be his choice.”

Finally, Sam couldn’t take it anymore and asked, “What does it matter that you have a brother?”

“He’s an addict,” Gabriel finally said the words.  “I didn’t want to talk about him around you.  Bring up bad memories.  He…got himself into some shit this week.  I had to go watch him to make sure he didn’t break out of the hospital.  Told him I’d pay for rehab, but that’s the last thing on his mind.  I’ve _tried_ , Sam, I really have, but he’s so far fucking gone, he’s consumed my life.  So, instead of letting him, I said goodbye.  That’s why I got a new phone, that’s why I wasn’t at the bar, I was cutting ties with him.”

A blooming of understanding spread across Sam’s features as he finally understood.  “Fuck.”  He set his fork down and ran a hand through his hair. “Did he overdose?  He’d really try to break out of the hospital after that?”

“Not the first time,” Gabriel said wryly, “on both accounts.  He doesn’t _want_ to get better like you did.  He’s perfectly happy living his life fucked up and banging anything that moves.  And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.  I didn’t want to bring you into it.  But now it’s over.  And I was so fucking excited to come home to you, knowing I’d never have to get pulled away because of _that_ train wreck again.”

Sam was speechless as he watched the other alpha, because he had no idea Gabriel had been dealing with this for so long.  He’d been handling the burden alone because he was worried about it triggering images of the life _Sam_ used to lead.  And the fact that Gabriel called them ‘home’?  That he’d done it, in a way, for them?  Sam’s heartbeat sped up, and he couldn’t form words.

“You deserve to know.  I’m sorry for lying.”

“It—” Sam cleared his throat, “it makes sense.  And I’m sorry things got so bad.  I knew I wanted to get out, but others can’t give it up.  I’m sorry your brother’s one of those.”

“Me, too,” Gabriel gave him a sorrowful smile.  “I’m holdin’ out hope.  The only person I gave my new number to was his booty call who’s head over heels for him even though he only uses her.  But I know she’ll watch over him.  And if he decides to go to rehab, she’ll call me.  And that’ll be one of the happiest days of my whole goddamn life.”

Sam stood up and circled the small table until he was close enough to Gabriel to touch him.  He leaned down and kissed him slowly with intent behind it.  Intent, that he was sorry for what he was going through.  That, despite all odds and his rampage before, he was there for him.  Because, no matter what, he really did love him.

Maybe it was fucked up.  Maybe _they_ were a little fucked up.  Still, this was something Sam could relate to.

He saw what he’d put Dean through, and he wished every day he could take that pain away from him.  Gabriel was going through the same thing, but he’d lost the battle.  He didn’t come out the other side with a sober brother—he had to say goodbye.

So he kissed him with apology, with thanks for being here, thanks for telling him something personal he didn’t have to and proof he didn’t want to lose him.

Sam could tell by his mouth and his scent, Gabriel returned every single sentiment.  And suddenly everything finally felt right again.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Gabriel even went the extra mile to grab the dishes and start the dishwasher.  While he did, he could tell Sam’s scent was changing from all the way over where he was seated at the table.  Another round of his rut was starting, and the scent of arousal and sweat tingled at Gabriel’s nostrils.

He figured this was as good of a time as any.

“Hey,” he called over to Sam, “see that plastic bag?”

“What?”  He sounded confused but the rustling noise told Gabriel he had found it on the other side of the table.

As did the stretch of silence.

Gabriel turned around and leaned against the counter, confronting Sam’s puzzlement with, “I picked those up while I was out, too.  I don’t want you to submit to me because you have to.  Then again, you said you liked my scent.  So I thought I’d leave the choice up to you.”

Sam stared long and hard at the unopened blockers he held in his hand and shook his head immediately.  “I want your scent.  I want _you_ , I want—”

“Yeah?”  Gabriel perked up a little bit because that meant they were beginning to fix this.  “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”  The younger alpha stuffed the container back into the bag and pushed it away like it burned him.  “Even when I was pissed it didn’t change how you smelled.  I can’t explain it.  It’s like everything I want wrapped up into something that— _fuck_.  I don’t know.”

Suddenly, Gabriel was pushing Sam’s chair backwards, the wooden legs scraping against the ground, and he took a seat straddling the younger alpha's hips.

He couldn’t keep away any longer, he had to bury his nose in Sam’s neck and admit, “I get it.  It’s the same thing I can’t describe about your scent.”

Sam whimpered at the contact as Gabriel flattened his tongue and licked a stripe from his collar bone all the way to the tip of his ear.  He nibbled along the Sam's lobe before grinding his hips down against his erection.  Sam tilted head back with a moan and reached out to grab Gabriel’s hips as he repeated the movement.

But before things could get too heated, Gabriel cupped the sides of Sam’s face and forced him to meet his stare.  “Sam?”

He was answered with a small nod.

“I know you were furious with me.  I know you were trying to get out that anger through sex but...” Now Gabriel was fumbling with his words.  “Have you gotten that out of your system?  Please tell me you have.”

“I mean—” Sam chewed on his bottom lip for a second before he decided on his answer.  “I understand now.  And I want us to be okay.  It’s not all gone, it’s not like I can just flip the switch.”

“I know, and that’s fine.”  Gabriel’s thumbs caressed the other alpha’s cheeks in a stolen moment of tenderness.  “I’m talking about you provoking me.   _Threatening_ me.  Is that…?”

“Yes.”  The answer was instant.  “I was in a bad place, Gabriel.  I thought I could use you to make _me_ feel useful, somehow.  I can’t explain it, it was stupid but I wasn’t thinking because—”

“I broke your heart.”

“Yeah.”  He didn’t bother to hide it.

Sam was completely at odds with himself because now that he had all the information, the actual truth behind Gabriel’s lies, what kind of person couldn’t be at least a little understanding?  Fuck, it was like a mirror looking back at him of his own past and that’s why Gabriel wanted to keep him out.  

Sam always wanted to talk things out, to find clarity and to fix things, but the fact that Gabriel’s weight was positioned right over his rock hard dick wasn’t giving him the chance to conjure up a heart-to-heart chit-chat.  Because all he could think about was how fucking bad he wanted the alpha.

Gabriel _had_ to know that.  His nostrils were flaring, taking in Sam’s scent, but he was also making sure this time wouldn’t be like the last.

Neither of them wanted it to be like the last.

His eyes kept flickering down to Sam’s lips and he had to clear his throat to say, “You said no to the blockers.  But I can’t have you forcing me again, Sam.  I _can’t—_ ” his voice cracked a little, and it was in that moment Sam knew just how affected Gabriel was by what had happened.

He couldn’t remain still any longer.

Sam surged forward and sucked the words away from Gabriel’s mouth, replacing them with his tongue instead.  Sam licked the roof of the other alpha’s mouth, trying to spur Gabriel into action, and it wasn’t until he covered the man’s hands with his own that Gabriel moved.

Sure, Sam was under the influence of his goddamn biology but now his _heart_ had gotten involved.  Again.  And it was blurring the lines.  One hand gripped Gabriel’s wrist while the other wrapped around his waist for leverage as Sam bucked up against him.  

With a sharp bite to Sam’s lip and a roll of his pelvis, Gabriel ordered, “Let’s move this to the bedroom.”

Neither had to be told twice.

The second Gabriel’s weight was gone, Sam was sprinting.  He was taking his clothes off as he made his way down the hall and collapsed down to the mattress.  The other man waited at the foot of the bed, watching him with a look that was part craving and part awe.  Even when he was pulling off his pants his eyes never left Sam and for some reason the younger alpha was getting even hotter under his gaze.

So much to the point he had to reach down and palm his erection.

Instead of being reprimanded this time, Gabriel continued his vigil, a hungry scent filling the room like a cloud of smoke.

Sam released a shaky breath and continued to jerk his cock, watching and waiting for the other alpha to do something.  He had yet to make a move—but Sam wanted his touch so fucking bad.  He made a show of spreading his legs and arching his back, just waiting for Gabriel’s self-control to snap.

He didn’t answer with actions, but words.  “Tell me what you want, Sam.”

“You.  That’s all I’ve always wanted.”  He didn’t care if he said too much, he’d blame it on the rut later.  “C’mere.”

Gabriel walked along to the side of the bed, Sam following his every move, and took a seat next to him.  He continued to watch with rapt attention as Sam’s breathing began to pick up.

“How do you want me?”  Gabriel’s voice was low and rough as he hovered right out of range, yet still hesitating.

That’s when he realized it.  He’d made the alpha nervous.  He’d forced him into something he hadn’t wanted, or at least not the _way_ he wanted it, and now he was shell-shocked.

Sam had known, from day fucking one, how huge Gabriel was on consent.  Fucking and knotting your boyfriend (optimistically speaking, hopefully they were still together) while he was angry and self-loathing in the middle of his rut probably made Gabriel hate a part of himself.

But this was day four.

Not only was Sam seeing more clearly, he was seeing the situation with unclouded eyes and realized what he—they—had done.  Maybe he could salvage this.   _God_ , he _hoped_ he could salvage this.

Sam reached on top of the nightstand and grabbed the lube from where it hadn’t been tucked away the night before.  He only broke eye contact with Gabriel long enough to coat his own fingers with the slick substance before returning to watch him.  As he did, he snaked his hand down his torso—Gabriel’s focus changing.  However, it didn’t stop to wrap around his cock.  It moved between his legs.

It was easy to slide the first two fingers inside his own body, and the way the alpha’s eyes dilated and his breathing audibly changed encouraged Sam.  He, much slower this time, worked in a third and began pushing them in all the way to his knuckles, out nearly all the way, and back again.  He mewled and spread his legs further apart when he found his sweet spot and couldn’t stop from rocking up off the bed.

Gabriel lurched forward for a second, but then held himself back.

What started out as a show to test the alpha’s control and simultaneously telling him this was all right, was quickly turning into him and his rut needing to get off right the fuck now.

Still, he wanted to give Gabriel the option of giving in, like he wanted him to do the entire time.  When he twisted in one more long, slicked digit past his tight rim he moaned out loud, gasping the alpha’s name.

Gabriel moved lightning fast, and before Sam knew it he was crouched between his legs, taking a front row seat.  Gabriel leaned forward, lapping the precum from the head of Sam’s cock before he sucked it into his mouth and released it with a pop.

When their eyes finally met, while Sam was still languidly fucking himself on his fingers, Gabriel asked, “Need help?”

“Unless your dick’s busy right now,” Sam raised a challenging eyebrow and grabbed the lube with his free hand.  “Get the fuck inside me.”

On a shaky exhale, Gabriel grabbed the bottle and coated his cock immediately, asking, “Can we do it like this?”

Again, Sam was completely thrown off by his hesitancy.  His bound-and-determinedness to walk on those eggshells.

So Sam nodded and said, “That’s what I want,” while he pulled his fingers from his slightly used, puffy hole.

Before Gabriel did anything like lining up, he pitched forward and kissed Sam tenderly.  While caught off guard, the younger alpha returned it, humming into the touch and letting himself get lost in it.

When Gabriel pulled away, he asked very seriously with his breath ghosting against Sam’s lips, “Did it hurt last time?”

“What?  The sex?”  His brow furrowed while he tried to look Gabriel in the eyes.

But they were hooded as he elaborated, “The knotting.  Because I _can’t_ hurt you, Sammy.”

“No, my body needed it, just like it does now.”  Sam’s voice took on a pleading tone.  “I can’t explain it, but I need your knot, your cum, please—”

“Only if it doesn’t hurt,” Gabriel’s voice was riding that fine line between him and his true alpha, but the scent of raw desire was overwhelming all of it.

A long cry was torn from Sam’s throat as Gabriel slid into his body in a slow, steady thrust until he bottomed out.  God—it was something he couldn’t explain.  Just like last time there was the itch for completion, not just getting off, but the need for connection.  And this time he could admit it.  He could admit that he honestly felt complete when he was with Gabriel, and as the alpha began moving his hips, Sam’s brain was sparking with electricity.

“You’re fucking gorgeous.”  Gabriel’s voice was hoarse as he hiked Sam’s legs, one by one, over his shoulders to fold the man in half.  “Can never get enough of you.”

They were in-tune with each other.  This wasn’t a power struggle or a battle, this was their bodies working in perfect tandem.  There was no hesitation or buzz-kill halt when Gabriel’s knot began to swell at the base of his erection and tease at Sam’s rim.  It was fluid—their mouths clashing together as Gabriel snapped his hips forward, reaching deeper inside Sam than he could have imagined.

The swell of his knot was well inside Sam’s tight heat, as Gabriel’s cock continually brushed his prostate.  With a wad of Gabriel’s hair in his fist and rolling of his hips, Sam knew he was riding that edge.  He was drowning in their scents—he hadn’t _felt_ this much in his entire life—whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally.  His body was about to be swallowed up while it was one with Gabriel’s.

This concept was staggering.  

Sam’s thighs clenched around the man as he moaned for him to speed up, begged for it harder, and then, right when he was overcome by a tidal wave of pleasure, the words, “I love you,” gushed from his mouth of their own accord.

He was riding high on the tidal wave of pleasure as he felt Gabriel’s knot swell and stretch him, accompanied by the hot rush of cum.  His body was still moving with his, it never stopped even though his muscles burned and his body was sticky.

Gabriel’s mouth was on his neck sucking a mark, his knot rubbing against his prostate and, _Jesus_ , he was blowing another load between their bodies in no time.

While in the middle of the second mind-boggling orgasm, he felt Gabriel’s breath against his cheek, with the words, “I love you,” repeated back to him.

And Gabriel’s thumb, brushing against his cheekbone.

Why was Gabriel’s thumb brushing against his cheekbone?

“Hey, I thought you said it didn’t hurt,” his voice was anxious and almost terrified as he stared Sam down, but all the other alpha was…was _confused_.

He untangled his legs from Gabriel’s shoulders and stretched out, tilting his head to the side and asking, “What?  No, it was…perfect.”  He hated blabbing that word, but there wasn’t much he could do since the endorphin high seemed to destroy his filter.

With the heaviest relieved exhale Sam had possibly ever heard, Gabriel smiled.  A huge, glowing sincere smile, as he exchanged his thumbs for lips and kissed his face.

“Did I miss something?”

“Nah.  You’re right.  Just perfect.”  With a light chuckle, Gabriel shut him up with a kiss before he could ask anymore questions.

Sam was still buzzing and eagerly returned the kiss, yet conflicted about asking what had just happened.  Oh well, he was too content with his current position to care.  He wrapped his arms around Gabriel, pulling in his body warmth and simply let them be.

In all honesty, he’d never, ever, in all his years of ruts felt sated like this before.  He welcomed every second of heady satisfaction and happy alpha scents coming from the other man.  Unfortunately, they couldn’t kiss forever, because the endorphin crash was giving way to small yawns and they needed to find a better position to nap in.

With one last lingering kiss, Sam’s head greeted a pillow and it was only then he felt a trickle from the side of his eye.

That’s when it hit him.  What Gabriel had been freaking out about.  Somehow, in the upheaval and intensity of their bodies (and maybe more) coming together, Sam had unconsciously formed tears.

He was alarmed with this discovery but he was too tired to dwell on it.  Fuck.  Hopefully, he’d forget about it by the time he woke up because now he was a little embarrassed.

Still, faced with what he’d just experienced and accidentally shedding a few tears?  He’d do it all over again and he wouldn’t change a thing.

\------------

When Sam woke up, it was to Gabriel sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed and tying his shoes.  

He frowned at the sight and asked, “Where are you going?”

Gabriel’s eyes were genuinely remorseful as he admitted, “I have to take a short shift.  After the week I took off, and then ditching work when you called?  I think my boss is two seconds away from firing me.”  There was a rueful half-smile on his face.  “Zeke said he’d cover the second half for me, dude's a _saint_.  I just gotta take the first.  I’m sorry, I just gotta—”

“No, I understand.”  And he really did.  “Can you, uh, tell Zeke I’m sorry for being a dick the other night?”

“You had a reason to be a dick.”  Gabriel leaned down to kiss Sam’s forehead. “But I’ll relay the message anyway.”

“When will you be back?”  Sam hated that his voice sounded so small and he hoped Gabriel chalked it up to exhaustion.

“Just a few hours.”  He reached out and carded his hands through Sam’s hair.  “I really am sorry.  Are we—?”

He left the thought to hang in the air, because he didn’t exactly know how to finish it.

Sam watched him.  He analyzed how anxious he looked under his gaze and he knew just how much he meant to Gabriel.  It was a hell of a lot.

“We’re getting there,”  Sam confirmed, and then frowned when he realized, “You’ve got your blockers back on.”

“Ah, yes.   _But_!”  He hopped up until he was hovering over Sam with an impish grin.  “They’re ones that can be rinsed off in the shower.  Just for you.”

“So thoughtful.”  Sam grabbed the back of the alpha’s neck and hauled him down for a kiss.  “I think I should be all right while you're gone.  Last round really worked wonders.”

“Yeah?”  Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows before rubbing their noses together. “I’m surprised I even got up to my alarm.  Knocked me on my ass.  Jesus, kid, you’re somethin’ else.  Something that will have me sprinting home like a goddamn Olympian, _trust me_.”

“You?  Running?”  The Winchester teased, never letting Gabriel out of his reach. “That’s something I’d like to see.”

“You callin’ me fat?!”

“I’m saying you’re allergic to exercise.”

“Sex _is_ exercise.” Gabriel poked him in the chest.  “Which I hope you don’t get started without me.  Because you’ve got me all obsessed, Mr. Slutty Adonis.”

“What did you call me?”  Sam asked with wide eyes. “Whatever.  Get out of here.”

“Shut it.  You love me,”  He teased while he playfully traced his tongue along Sam’s jaw line.  “Even got you to admit it.”

Suddenly, Sam could feel his face turn bright red and he didn’t know why.  It was stupid and ridiculous.  He was a grown-ass man, he should be fine admitting his feelings, but the way Gabriel approached things just made him feel awkward.

“Aww, you’re cute when you’re—”

“I _do_ , okay?!”  Sam suddenly raised his voice.  “I do.  Love you.  Which was why when everything went to shit it was so hard on me.  So don’t—”

“We’re gonna get past that.”  Gabriel grabbed his chin and forced Sam to look him in the eyes.  “If you’ll give me the chance?  We’re gonna get past it.  Because I don’t wanna let you go.  Remember, I said it first.”

With a deep breath in and a nod, Sam found himself lost in sincere honey-colored eyes and felt like things may just turn out alright.

“We will,” he confirmed, then looked to the clock. “You’ve gotta get going, _Richard_.  Don’t wanna get fired, right?”

For some reason, Gabriel flinched at that one but nodded.  He kissed Sam once more, with a, “So I picked up some stuff for sandwiches if you get hungry.  Everything’s in the fridge and bread’s on the counter.  I should be home by five or six.  Oh, and I’ll give Zeke your love.”

Sam gave him a genuine smile while he admitted, “I’ll probably finish my nap.  But I’ll see you soon, Gabe.”

“You too, my little sex fiend.”

“Fuck off.”

“Oh, no, I shall fuck _you—_ ”

Gabriel barely dodged a box of Kleenex on his way out the door.

\-----------

While work was work, Gabriel eagerly rolled up his sleeves at the bar, ready to get this show on the road and back home to Sam.  Some part of him wished he was working _with_ Zeke rather than splitting a shift because he wanted to gush like a little girl that he and Sam were starting to work things out.

Since the man had shown interest, that is.

Plus, he was ridiculously excited.

Gabriel hoped that day four was good to the alpha and he wasn’t suffering too badly with the few hours of solitude.  When Gabriel had gotten the call it was too good to be true, but he knew it was because Sam was out of other options.

Ruts like _this_ only came once in a blue moon and Gabriel knew he and their relationship probably had something to do with it.  Which was why he hated the fact he’d missed the first few days and wanted to make it up to Sam however he could.

When one of his regulars sidled his way up to the bar, he immediately asked, “What’ll it be, Marv?”  The man had always given him the creeps.

“A Tequila Sunrise, Rich,” he easily replied.

“Comin’ right up!”  While Gabriel mixed away he continued to watch the homely-looking man and noted aloud, “You’re lookin’ a little jumpy tonight.  Something on your mind?”

“Well,” the beta leaned forward and said, “I think I’m going to do it.  Get one of those VIP dances.”

“Yeah?  Ain’t no shame in that.”  He pushed the drink across the counter. “I’ve seen how you’ve got a little crush on Tanya.  Is that who you’re gonna pay for?”

“Pay for,” he shuddered, “you make it sound so _dirty_.”

“That’s ’cause it is,” Gabriel winked, “but there’s nothing wrong with that.  Your first time, I take it?”

That would explain why he was being so damn weird, at least.  Shifting his gaze between his drink and the poles, where the woman in question was currently dancing.

“Yes.  I’ve never done anything like this,” Marv admitted in embarrassment.  “It’s always felt _wrong_ , like—”

“C’mon, Marv.  I’ve seen you in here every friggin Wednesday and every other Sunday since I started working.  You appreciate hot chicks and tits.  It’s _nothing_ to be ashamed of.  Why not take advantage of the VIP dances?  I know you drink your weight in one, price-wise, every other week.”  Gabriel shook his head with a laugh. “Just take the plunge, dude.”

“All right.”  He nodded to himself, steeling his nerves. “Where do I go to…?”

Gabriel pointed across the room to a desk off the side of the dance floor. “Right over there.  They’ll take your information and tell you when she’s got an opening.”

“Thank you, Rich.”  His voice was very serious and as soon as he was out of earshot Gabriel couldn’t help but breakdown laughing.

It was _ridiculous_ how people could justify the ‘rights and wrongs’ of morality.  He never gave a fuck.  Gabriel prided himself on never holding judgment over people, whether it came to their ways of life or their opinions.  After all, it was none of his business.  But people like Marv?  He knew for a fact the man was judging Tanya.  No matter how hard she made his dick, he was one of those types who was above _everyone_ here—but he still got his jollies from people underneath him.

Truth is, Gabriel kind of hated the guy, and watching him fumble with his nerves was probably going to be the best part of his night.  He shook his head and relayed his story to Hannah when she asked what the hell was so funny.

It even made a hard-ass like her smirk.

\-------------

Gabriel was getting ready to clock out after a decently easy shift, and he was on his way to the backroom.  It was a slow night ( _really_ fucking slow night) and right before he made the turn for the ‘employee’s only’ door, he heard a shriek coming from the VIP rooms.

When he whipped his head around, he noticed there was _not_ a goddamn bouncer out front because the jackass was probably taking a quick smoke break.   
  
Gabriel’s instincts kicked in.

He changed his direction to the bouncer-less corridor entrance, threw open the door to the hallway and followed the screams.

There were no second thoughts when he grabbed the handle and charged in—

To see Tanya backed into a corner with Marv trying to...kiss her?

Gabriel grabbed the beta by the collar and tossed him back with too much of his strength.  To the point that he went crashing to the other wall, ricocheted off a corner, and then tumbled down to the floor with a shout.

Immediately, Gabriel grabbed the omega with a smoothing touch by her shoulders—they were close, maybe even friends, so he felt comfortable enough to do that.    
  
He looked her in the eyes, and whispered, “Hey, Tee, are you alright?”

She was huffing and puffing, her scent full of surprise and a mix of fear, before she looked up at Gabriel with a slack jaw.

That’s when he circled an arm around her shoulders and led her out of the room, slamming the door behind them and guarding it.

No one else was in the hall, _that’s_ how slow they were tonight—if Gabriel hadn’t been walking there at that moment…no.  The alpha had no doubt Marv wasn’t going to try anything, but that didn’t mean the girl knew that.  She didn’t know he was a harmless creep.  She probably thought there was a real, genuine threat behind him coming after her.

“Hey, c’mon, you’re okay, you’re safe,” Gabriel tried again, and let just a little of his true alpha influence leak out, if only to soothe her.  “He’s just a handsy dick and I’ll take care of him, yeah?”

Finally, her the tension in her small frame slumped and she tumbled into Gabriel’s arms with a nod, “Thank you, thank you _so much_ , Richard.”

He rubbed circles on her bare back, ignoring the naked breasts pressed against his chest, and said, “No problem, kiddo.  I’m gonna give Brett a fuckin’ _earful_ because he was nowhere to be found.  Douche.”

After she’d calmed down, she pulled away and looked him in the eyes, “Fuck _Brett_ , I’ve never seen someone rip a perv off someone like that.   _You_ should be a bouncer, not a bartender.  Are you secretly a superhero?”

“At least your wit’s back!”  Gabriel pinched her cheek.  “Hey, go chill out in the dressing rooms and let me take care of that jackass, all right?”

“Okay, Clark Kent.”  She nodded with a small, “Thank you again.  Seriously.  I don't know what would have happened if you didn't-”

“I do what I can.”  He gave her a playful push with a smile, and waited until she was at the end of the hallway and past the door before he went back into the room.

Marv was in a ball on the floor with his hands running through his scraggly, curly hair, rocking back and forth.  Like the VIP room was a cell with padded walls and he was at a fucking insane asylum.  Where he might as well be.

“What the fuck do you think you were doing?!”  Gabriel demanded at his cowering figure, “Number one fucking rule, _don’t touch_ the girls!  Are you an idiot, or—”

“Oh my God,” he mumbled to himself, “my life is _over_ , I’m gonna get in so much trouble, I’m gonna _lose_ my _job_ when this is reported—no judge can have sexual assault on their record even though I _barely_ touched her, _holy shit_ , I—”

Gabriel paused and raised an eyebrow, because one word stuck out.  Judge.

Which was something he very well could use to _his_ advantage.

The wheels in Gabriel's head were turnings, this bumbling dumbass didn’t know the protocol—maybe Gabriel could ease a few bumps in the road and end up with this man in his debt.  If not for his own past, for something stupid Cas did in the future.  And, of fucking course, he was still thinking about his little brother.  Still, he knew a golden opportunity when he saw one.

“Get up.”  He ordered, and then realized something.  “Your real name’s not Marv.  What is it?”

Shakily, the man answered, “Metatron,” while he used the chair to haul himself to his feet.

“Okay, Metatron.  Obviously you’re new to this and you made a bonehead move.”  Gabriel crossed his arms.  “And it really would be a shame if you, an upstanding citizen and upholder of the law, lost it all because of _one stupid_ mistake.”

The man’s eyes were squinted in confusion as he watched Gabriel closely.“Y-yes, it would.”

He took a few steps forward, crowding the beta against the wall and speaking very slowly, “I can make this all go away for you.  We can sweep this under the rug.  But I want you to remember it, and if I call in a favor some day?  You’re gonna _have_ to answer.  Do we have a deal?”

Metatron was shaking because, for the first time in a long time, Gabriel was _actively_ posturing.  He was making absolutely _certain_ he was getting through to this man and the fear in the beta's eyes told him he’d nailed it.

“Yes, yes, _anything_!”  He gulped, nodding his head over and over again.

“Good.”  Gabriel drew out the word and stepped away from him. “Now get the fuck out.  And hurry.  I’ve got damage control to do.”

As soon as he finished, Metatron was scampering from the VIP room and he could hear the fumbled footsteps down the hallway.

Gabriel leaned back against the wall, contemplating.

Tanya was fine.  A little spooked, but fine.  And if there was one thing that girl needed for her baby at home, it was money.  Gabriel had _more_ than enough to pay her off and he could deliver it in an envelope to the strip club tomorrow, ‘From Marv’.  She’d never look into pressing charges or even look for him again.

Yeah, Gabriel had this covered.  And now he also had a judge in his pocket.

Abruptly, he pushed off the wall—because that’s when he realized he _also_ had an alpha in rut to get home to.  Fuck.

\---------------

Gabriel had taken the extra key on the way out.  It was the one Sam never moved when they’d gotten into their huge fight four days ago, so getting into the apartment was easy.  His next stop was the shower.

He called out to Sam that he was back and as much as he wanted to see him, to hop on the bed and tackle him with kisses, Gabriel knew his scent would immediately turn the alpha away.

Not _only_ did he smell like strip club, he smelled like scared omega stripper, alpha aggression and terrified beta.  Which was a terrible scent-cocktail.  It needed to be scrubbed away immediately.

What he hadn’t expected when he was rinsing the shampoo from his hair, was to be joined in the small shower stall.  He wasn’t complaining.  Not one bit.

“Hey,” Sam greeted, pulling Gabriel and his wet body against his and grousing, “you didn’t want to invite me?”

“Didn’t know how well you’d be moving around.”  He wiggled his eyebrows and emphasized his point by smacking the man’s ass.  “Looks to me like I have to try harder.”

“To incapacitate me?  Is _that_ your goal?”

“Maybe?”  Gabriel grabbed the soap, because he didn’t know how much of the gross smell was lingering.

Plus, he’d promised Sam to wash away the blockers, so he was on a mission.

“Yeah, you’ll have to try harder.”

Sam hummed when Gabriel decided to massage the soap onto his skin too, knowing Sam was wearing layers of sweat, and last he knew, dried cum—so he could probably use the rinse-off just as much.  Not to mention any time Gabriel had the chance to get his hands all over Sam, he took advantage.  This was the perfect opportunity.

“Sorry it took a little longer than I said, I had to play bouncer to an unruly patron.”  Then Gabriel teased, when Sam turned his back during the scrub down, “Did you miss me?”

“Maybe.”  Sam’s voice wavered a little when Gabriel trailed a finger between his ass cheeks.  “Or maybe I just missed your cock.”

“Sassy tonight, I like it.”  Gabriel abandon his teasing in order to move a very pliable Sam under the spray of the water.  “We’ll have fun.  Not just a threat, it’s a promise.”

When Sam caught his eyes, Gabriel instantly recognized the desire burning bright before the pheromones could even be scented on the air.  It was those expressions Gabriel lived for and he knew right away he was in for it.  Sam didn’t even have to say a word—it was all in those hungry looks.

A smile spread across Gabriel’s face, one that he couldn’t contain, and they both rushed through the rest of the shower and straight back to the bedroom.

\------------

When the sun rose on the fifth day, Gabriel’s eyes were slow to open and realize he was looking at the ceiling because he’d fallen asleep on his back.  He never slept on his back.  That’s when he recognized a familiar weight on his chest, felt Sam’s breathing against his shoulder and the young alpha’s arms wrapped around his waist while their legs were tangled together.

It was then he decided fuck spooning.  He could get used to this.

He had one arm cradled around Sam’s back and the other covering Sam’s arm from where it was holding his waist tightly.  This, he realized, was not only a fantastic moment in time, it was an anomaly.

Sam had allowed him to take charge of him last night, _multiple_ times, _and_ to care for him.  Which were two completely different things, when it came down to it.  Especially for alphas.

Somehow, even after Gabriel had fucked everything to Hell, Sam still trusted him.  Or he was building that trust back up.  Sam _kept_ giving him chances—something Gabriel would never take for granted again because he didn’t want to lose this.

What they had was something more.  Something that was all kinds of intense and, while volatile at times, it was filled with the sweeter things.  They actually loved one another.  It wasn’t about sex; even though they were working through Sam’s rut, the hushed ‘I love you’s had been there before all this, and they sure as Hell were here now.

Gabriel was at odds with himself.

Sam was sleeping so softly, so serenely, that he didn’t want to wake him from whatever dream he was caught up in.  But on the other hand, he _really_ wanted to kiss him.  To caress his soft skin that the light had cast a golden shine to.  To run his hands through his soft hair and scent Sam’s happiness.

Today was the fifth day of his rut, which meant the fever would be breaking soon.

Every alpha’s cycle was different.  Gabriel hadn’t had much time to chat with Sam about his, so Gabriel was in the dark about whether it slowly weaned away or literally broke after an intensive last hurrah of sex.

That was also one of the reasons Gabriel didn’t want to wake Sam, because some alphas welcomed this day while others dreaded it.  He didn’t know which Sam was.

However, when he felt the man stirring against him and squeezing him within his arms, Gabriel felt it was all right to run his fingers through the Sam’s hair.  He preened against the touch, unconsciously nuzzling into the movement and lifting his head enough to rest it in the crook of Gabriel’s neck.  He took in a deep breath of the true alpha and sighed out something adorably content.

Yeah.  Gabriel was head over heels for this overgrown lapdog—it was a fact.

“Good morning, sunshine,”  Gabriel finally mumbled softly, pressing his lips to Sam’s brow.

“Hey,” came a gruff response, followed by another shift of their tangled legs, and a muffled, clearly still half-asleep, “how’re you.”

With a brief snort of laughter, Gabriel couldn’t hide his smile when he replied.  “Pretty good.  Gotta sea monster wrapped around me.  But it’s pretty cute, so I may keep ’em.”

“Oh, yeah?”  Sam sighed and rocked his pelvis lazily against Gabriel’s hip.  “Never heard of a ‘cute sea monster’.”

“They only appear once every twenty-two years, on waxing moons after the first of the month when—”

Gabriel was interrupted as Sam somehow managed to roll on top of him and hovered just above with a grin.  “I don’t care.”

“Well, aren’t you _direct_ this morning.”  Gabriel emphasized the word ‘direct’ with his own upward thrust, rutting his morning wood against Sam’s and loving the off-guard expression on his face.

“I’m really, really well-rested,” he countered, and lowered his body to completely cover Gabriel’s, cupping the alpha’s face and drawing him into lazy kisses.  “Haven’t gotten that good of sleep in, well…ever.”

“Yeah, I’m a pretty awesome pillow, huh?”

“You’re a pretty awesome everything.  But don’t let it go to your head.”

“Speaking of head,” Gabriel rocked their hips together, causing Sam to gasp from the friction, “which one are you using this morning?”

“H-haven’t decided.”  A wicked grin spread across his features as he reached beyond Gabriel, for the nightstand.  “But I have decided I’m gonna ride you.”

There was alarm in Gabriel’s brain as Sam reached down and coated his cock with lube right off the bat.  Even more when Sam raised to his haunches and situated himself over top Gabriel’s already rock-hard cock.

“Wait, Sam—do you think—?”

“I _know_ .”  He paused what he was doing and took special care to duck back towards Gabriel.  “I know you care about me and don’t want to hurt me.  But after how many times you’ve knotted me, Gabe?  Just last night, alone?  I don’t need any foreplay.  Now you have to trust _me_.  I wanna make you feel good this time.”

Sam knew all the words to say, all the points to touch on every concern and worry Gabriel would and wouldn’t voice.  He had the true alpha figured out to a T—it was ridiculous.  Sam’s words were soft and soothing with just the right amount of confidence as he kissed Gabriel with a little more passion than before, getting both their inner alphas riled up.

Then he sat back and lifted himself up, giving Gabriel a show of lining his cock up against Sam’s hole.  And slowly, painfully slowly for Gabriel, sank down.

The image was fucking obscene and tore a moan from Gabriel’s throat as Sam breathlessly found himself fully seated.  Their hips were flush and Sam began rolling and grinding, watching Gabriel’s face as he became completely lost in the sensation.

The tight grip around his cock was mind-blowing, but the way Sam was watching him with those predatory eyes as he teased him with the smallest of movements... _Jesus_ , he was killing him already.  He hadn’t even really moved yet.

Sam was arching his back and rolling his hips in a way that forced Gabriel’s erection impossibly deeper inside him.  Just the angle alone was something new, something so fucking hot, and the way Sam was handling himself showed how _Sam’s_ inner alpha was coming out to play this morning.  Even though his body may submit to Gabriel’s true alpha, the way Sam was toying with him, getting him revved up before he even began riding him, was anything _but_ submission.

Sam didn’t have to grab anything for stability—his body was pure muscle.  With his strong thighs, he easily lifted himself off Gabriel’s cock and hovered with only the tip still inside him.

Gabriel was completely enraptured and didn’t know whether to watch Sam taking his cock or the way Sam was observing him, because he could feel the heaviness of the gaze.  Gabriel was breathing erratically, waiting for his next move, and eventually figured out that Sam demanded his attention.  So he snapped his eyes up to meet amused hazel ones.

“You can’t tell if you like this or hate this.”  Sam was haughty in the statement as he slowly slid back down Gabriel’s cock.

When Gabriel tried to avert his eyes, Sam dipped forward and grabbed his chin, forcing him to keep their eyes locked.  He didn’t offer an explanation—he simply did it knowing Gabriel would follow his lead.    
  
Gabriel _barely_ managed to follow direction when Sam began setting a slow rhythm, lifting up and sliding back down his entire length at an easy pace.  Yet, Gabriel was enraptured by the way that the hungry look Sam wore, turned lust-wrecked, was accompanied by similar scents in no time.  The evolution of Sam coming undone was what caught Gabriel’s attention, along with the sparks flying between them.     
  
It started to become a sensory overload—Sam’s ass clenching around Gabriel’s cock was nearly virgin tight because there hadn’t been any prep, but it wasn’t too extreme to hurt him.  Just extreme _enough_ to make the sensations that much more intense.

His hands grabbed Gabriel’s hips, nails digging into the flesh as he picked up the speed.  The true alpha thought it was because he need something to hold onto, but he realized it was because his knot was catching and Sam was biting his lip against the friction.

Although neither wanted to stop, Gabriel was worried this time his knot might hurt.  Sam had pitched forward and the way he ground down when the thickness was already too deep inside him told them both there was no going back.  Gabriel dug his heels into the mattress and started fucking up into Sam’s body.

It tore a gasp from Sam’s lungs and he grabbed the base of his cock, not jerking himself off but doubling over and _aiming_.

His cum painted Gabriel’s stomach and chest—some even managed to land on his cheek—and it had Sam reaching forward to smear it into his skin.  He was marking Gabriel and that possessive look, as well as the bursting scents of orgasm, was enough to tip Gabriel over the edge.

He grabbed Sam’s hips and fucked into him relentlessly, his knot swelling and claiming him from the inside.  Jesus, it was tight, tighter than it had been in a long time but Sam was moaning rather than grunting in pain.  He was too hopped-up on adrenaline to be feeling anything other than that second rush of pleasure through his veins.

This time, he tumbled over and crashed his lips to Gabriel’s because they’d been apart much, much too long.

He was met with adoration and love.

Their bodies slowed to long glides before reaching a stop.  That’s when Gabriel question was answered, and he realized what kind of alpha Sam was.

The kind whose fever broke, as Sam’s body was illuminated with sweat, and _that_ was the last of his rut.

There weren’t any lingering, unfulfilled sexual urges in the form of scents through the air.  Merely those of completion.  Of exhaustion and an indescribable happiness.

Gabriel cupped Sam’s face so he could look into his eyes and whispered, “I think that went well.”

With a crooked grin, Sam was trying to catch his breath, so all he could do was nod.

He tugged the younger alpha down to his chest, cradling the back of his head against his neck as he rolled them onto their sides.  Maybe it had something to do with Sam expelling so much rage during the first part of his rut that this one ended smoothly and early in the morning.  Now Gabriel planned on taking care of him the rest of the day, whether he wanted it or not.

Still, Sam went willingly and melted into his arms, scenting the true alpha scent he had come to quote, ‘be obsessed with’, and didn’t feel like moving anytime soon.  Which was fantastic, in Gabriel’s opinion.  He’d take any excuse he could get to lay here with Sam.  To hold him close and let the rest of the world fade away.  When he closed his eyes, he couldn’t help falling asleep again, listening to Sam’s calming heartbeats.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Slowly but surely, things between Sam and Gabriel got better.

They weren’t able to pretend that night of their confrontation didn’t happen, explanation aside.  It hit them both hard and took a toll in more than just an emotional way.  It was a wake-up call, like someone pulled the fire alarm and revealed just how deep their feelings went.

Then spending Sam’s rut together solidified things.

Maybe they were walking on eggshells because of how close they’d come to losing each other.  Ironically, even though Sam was kicking and screaming about it for a while, that was the last thing either of them wanted.  To one another.

Their individual lives went back to normal.  Gabriel worked his long nights at the bar while Sam studied with Brady during the day, and even though they never really planned it out they always ended up in each other’s beds at night.

It was an unspoken kind of deal.

While they were both busy and didn’t have much time for dates and a place to talk everything out, they still physically needed to be together.  Which was why falling asleep and waking up next to one each other was so important.  It wasn’t only their bodies that craved it, it was all of them, which was part of the conversation they _needed_ to have, but wouldn’t.

Sam’s rut had put his school work behind schedule and it was only a week and a half before his first day of law school.  That made the young alpha nervous, even though he’d never admit it.  Gabriel offered as many distractions as he could.  Hell, he even went to the trouble of making Sam lunches to-go because food was the farthest thing from his mind.  It turned out, Sam really sucked at basic human needs—like feeding himself—and Gabriel had no problem offering his services.

Sam decided to bring it up one night, before they fell asleep in Gabriel’s bed.

It happened to be Gabriel’s bed they wound up in most of the time.  Ever since he’d given Sam the key, he’d allowed his true alpha scent to sink back into the walls, and that’s the way the younger man liked it.

Sam was pillowed against Gabriel’s shoulder, his hand cradling the back of Sam’s neck, when he made the remark casually.  “You like taking care of me.”

He was attempting not to nod off when Sam said it, but responded, “Caught me.  Is that a problem?”

“No, it’s cute.”

“You’re not complaining?”

“No, I was just commenting.”

“Well, then I’m gonna have to complain about you calling me cute.  You got it all wrong.”  Gabriel shifted until he was hovering above Sam.  “Because I’m dashing and sexy, thank you very much.”

A smile spread across Sam’s features and he tried not to laugh.  He settled on, “Yes.  Yes, you are.”

When Gabriel ducked down to kiss him, Sam melted into the touch and reached out to wrap his arms around Gabriel’s neck.  He was trying to pull Gabriel closer, to kiss him harder, but it was interrupted by a yawn.

Which made Sam frown and comment, “I miss this.”

“Yeah?”  Gabriel paid special attention to his scent and his body language.  “I didn’t wanna push you because—”

“You thought I only wanted you during my rut?”  Sam’s eyebrows knitted up in confusion.  “Is that why we haven’t been…?”

“Well, and you’ve been busy.”  Gabriel lowered a hand to caress Sam’s cheek. “I didn’t wanna distract you from your studies or wear you out.  Plus, I didn’t know exactly, uh, where we stood.”

“Then why didn’t you _ask_?”  Suddenly, his demeanor had changed to baffled…annoyance?  “We fall asleep together.  Every single night.  And you haven’t made a move because you don’t know where we stand?”  He shuffled backwards and sat up, which caused Gabriel to tumble back a bit.  “I let you knot me, over and over, and you don’t know where we stand?  I told you I loved you.  And you don’t know where we stand?”

“Well, when you put it that way.”  Gabriel nervously met Sam’s frustrated gaze. “I’m sorry.  I’m scared to fuck things up again, okay?  This is new to me.”

“This is new to me, too.”  Sam wasn’t moving from his spot, staring Gabriel down, then emphasized, “ _All_ of it.”

“Shit.”  He cursed under his breath and maneuvered around until he was straddling Sam’s lap with his arms loosely around his shoulders.  “I love you, too.  And that’s scary for me.  Sometimes I don’t know how to read the situation because you’re so…”

“Inexperienced?”

“No, Sam.   _Good_ .  Like, you’re one of the best people I’ve ever known.  I’m used to shitty people, or people I need to be on guard around.  People who want something from me.  And you’re not one of them.  So that makes _me_ the bad guy and I don’t know—”

“How to have a normal relationship,”  Sam finished and chuckled with a shake of his head. “So that makes two of us.  Fuck normal.  I want whatever we had.  Whatever we _have_.  I don’t want to change anything.  I want you to be a smart-aleck dick who keeps me up at night with amazing sex because you’re horny.  I want you to wake me up with breakfast because you make the best pancakes in the world.  I don’t want you to be nervous because you’re _Gabriel_ and you’re not supposed to give a fuck if you offend anyone.”

“Yeah?”  He titled his head to the side as Sam became more and more empowered by his own words and Gabriel felt his own confidence grow.  “I think I can handle that.”

“Good.”  Sam pulled him in for a chaste kiss.

To which Gabriel immediately responded, “Am I gonna get more than that?”

“No.  Because I’m tired.”  Sam dramatically fell back to the mattress with a shit-eating grin.

“What was that about me keeping you up all night with mind blowing sex because I’m horny?”  He demanded right before he was smacked in the face with a pillow.

“Tomorrow night.  I gotta get up early,” the younger alpha’s voice came from behind the continually abusive pillow.  “But I remember I’m the little spoon.  Do I get points for that?”

“Long as you don’t mind me humping you in the A.M.”  Gabriel wore a Cheshire-like grin as he managed to land one lingering kiss on Sam’s lips.  “Yah, on the morning sex?”

“If you set an alarm,”  Sam warned, tucking himself under the alpha’s arm.  “Only then.”

“That’s not romantic-spur-of-the-moment.  That’s…lame,” he grumbled.

“There’s my Gabe.”

“Yeah,” the alpha realized with a snort, “bitchy, annoying me.  Why do you like me, again?”

“I don’t like you, I love you, ass.”

“Mm,” Gabriel spread kisses along Sam’s back as they got into position for bed, “I love you, sassy bitch.”

\--------------

There was a lot of internal debate involved when Gabriel’s natural early-rising clock went off and he stared at Sam sleeping peacefully in his arms.  Sure, they’d have time for a quickie but he also remembered Sam mentioning pancakes.  And pancakes eventually won out.

He easily slipped out from the bed and took a quick shower before popping his blocker pills—tonight was a longer shift at the bar—and went to work making the batter from scratch.  The coffee was brewing and he was finished with the first plate by the time Sam eventually wandered out.

Gabriel could see he was moving slow so he took the extra steps across the kitchen to physically place a cup of coffee in Sam’s hand with a wink.

He took it graciously before sitting down.  “So, no morning sex?”

“You were too angelic-looking.  Didn’t want to ruin your virtue.”  He teased while he brought over breakfast.  “Plus, I know you’ve been working hard.  I think I know you better than you know yourself, and you needed your sleep.”

“Damn.  Do I have you whipped?”  Sam blinked, all fake-innocence.  “Have I tamed you?”

“Shut the fuck up and eat your fucking food.”

“Gladly.”  Sam began drizzling the syrup before asking, “What time are you out of work tonight?”

“Eh, ‘til close.”  Gabriel responded taking his seat and a long sip of coffee.  “Why?”

“Oh.  Just a bunch of us are going out as a last hurrah before school starts.  Most of us have our work done and the rest are close to finishing so we figured now would be the last weekend we could.  God, I can’t believe it’s almost a week away.”  Sam shook his head in disbelief before he began eating.

With a tilt of his head, Gabriel finally put two and two together.  “You wanted me to be your date?”

While he chewed, Sam rolled his eyes.  “You _are_ my boyfriend.  Unless I missed something.”

“Aw, shit.”  A grin wormed its way on Gabriel’s face and he tried to squash it because he didn’t want Sam to think he was making fun of him.  “I really wish I could.  Like, really.  I could call Zeke and—”

“No, I know weekends are impossible for you to get off.”  Sam shrugged his shoulders. “I wanted to ask on the off chance I could actually get you to join.”

“You know I want to, right?”  Gabriel’s forkful of food stopped right outside his mouth while he waited for Sam to answer.

The other alpha smiled and nodded.  “Yeah, I do.”

“Good.”  As he was chomping away, Gabriel added, “We need to go do something fun again.  How close are you to finishing your work?”

“A day or two.”  Sam made a face at his boyfriend’s terrible manners.  “You’re as bad as my brother.”

“Who I _still_ need to meet.”

“It’ll happen.  Sooner or later.  Once Brady and I finish, we should have a night out or in or anything you want.  Like we used to.”  His voice was small, like he was guessing.

“I’d love that.”  Gabriel scraped the last few bites of pancake from his plate, and then pointed his fork at Sam.  “If you weren’t so goddamn giant I’d have you wear something of mine.  Tell everyone else at the bar hands-off.”

“Too bad you’ve already taken you’re blockers or you could’ve scent marked me,” Sam leaned in to taunt him.  “Your fault.”

While Gabriel was turning the corner with his plate, he made it look like he was going to take Sam’s empty one to the sink but set them both down on the table.  He grabbed the younger man by the face and brushed his nose across the expanse of Sam’s neck, followed by the flick of his tongue.

“Let me mark you?”

Sam shivered under the touch from where he was in a strange headlock, and couldn’t help but quip, “You’re _asking_ this time?”

“Well, I’ll probably do it anyway, but it’d make me happier if you were down.”  Gabriel’s voice was lowered right against the man’s ear and he could scent the beginning of Sam’s arousal.  “Is that a yes, or a yes?”

Sam surprised him by a tilted chin and completely baring his neck in submission, even though his voice taunted him, “If you’re so insecure, go for it.”

“You and I both know you like it.”  Gabriel playfully grazed his lips along the soft skin until he found the right spot.

He started out with mischievous licks, just to get Sam going because his scent was already riled up.  Then Gabriel pressed open-mouthed kisses, along with the graze of his teeth that drew a whimper from Sam’s throat, which sounded absolutely _divine_.  He finally closed his mouth along the skin and sucked eagerly, bringing the blood to the surface.

When he pulled away to admire his handiwork, it was perfect.

Visible.  Intentional.  Brazen.

Exactly how Gabriel wanted it to be.  No one would look at Sam and miss that mark on his neck.  They’d know he was taken, and that’s exactly what Gabriel and his inner alpha needed to make sure of.

That’s when he noticed Sam has a blush along his cheeks and his breathing was a little more rapid than before, as he shifted in his seat.

“Did I just give you a boner?”  Gabriel’s eyes lit up in mischief.

“It’s your fault for skipping out on the morning sex,”  Sam grumbled with a bitchface, then looked away.

Which had Gabriel sitting down on his lap and running his hands through the long brown hair.  “Do you wanna mark me?”

“What?”  He jerked around to see if Gabriel was being serious.

“You’ve done it before,” he commented slyly, “and you were so good and obedient, you deserve a treat.”

“You’re acting like I’m some kind of goddamn dog,”  Sam snapped without much venom in his voice.  

Because his eyes were laser focused on Gabriel’s neck.

With a bit of hesitation, he asked, “Your true alpha wouldn’t freak out, or something?”

“Nope.”  He said it so casually, “You don’t have to.  I was just offering you—”

Sam had his mouth on Gabriel’s neck in the blink of an eye, gnawing with much less finesse than what had been used with him.  Almost as though his window of opportunity was shutting and he needed to get it done immediately.  Gabriel bit his lip at the graze of Sam’s teeth, because now he knew how the other alpha felt.  

The sensation went right to his dick.

Goddammit, Sam was right.  Skipping morning sex was a _terrible_ mistake.

When Sam pulled away, he was grinning and brought his hand up to brush his thumb along the barely-raised skin.

“Do I look pretty now?”  Gabriel batted his eyes, going for a joke but his voice had that lust-wrecked quality that Sam noticed right away.

“You look…” Sam started on a shaky breath.

A statement he couldn’t finish, because Gabriel crashed their mouths together.  It was fiery and passionate in a way no breakfast make-out should be, but the possessiveness they both felt about each other had come to a head and they were taking it out on one another with their lips and tongues.  Gabriel resituated himself on Sam’s lap so he could grind down on the man’s erection.

Sam was pawing at Gabriel’s back, nails scratching through the t-shirt and leaving marks underneath.  Neither thought it was going to get so fucking intense just because they had playfully ‘claimed’ each other for the general public, but it had.  Gabriel was ripping off Sam’s shirt in the blink of an eye and moved his attention to nipping his collarbone, when he heard the other alpha groan out, “Fuck.”

But it was the bad kind of ‘fuck.’

Not a ‘that-feels-really-good-keep-going-baby-fuck.’

But the kind Sam answered aloud in utter defeat.  “Shit, I have to get ready.”

With a pout, but understanding, Gabriel exhaled loudly and stood back up to grab the dishes like he’d initially planned.  He took them to the sink, trying to get his horny-as-hell body back under control through cleaning and putting the syrup and butter away in the fridge after Sam fled.

When he reappeared, he was dressed, had his book bag and a frown on his face.  It was the mark, however, that had Gabriel’s attention.  And that cheered him right back up.

“You’re coming home to me tonight, right?”  He asked, wiping his wet hands down on the dish rag by the sink.

“Duh.”  Sam rolled his eyes with fondness. “As long as you’re not mad that I’m trashed or something.”

“You’re celebrating.”  Gabriel stalked towards him and hooked his thumbs through Sam’s belt loops.  “You’re supposed to get smashed.  Only way I’d be mad is if you _didn’t_ end up in my bed.”

“Are you gonna be a huge pain in the ass about drunk consent again?”  He delivered it with a teasing tone, while he looked down at Gabriel.  “Because we both just cock-blocked ourselves.  I know I’m going to be horny, and unlike last time...we’re officially together now.  Plus, it’s been too long.”

“If you don’t pass out upon arrival and are in any condition for sex, I suppose the fact you’re giving your consent now’s good enough.”  Gabriel snorted and shook his head.  “Don’t want you going out there and looking for anyone else, if I say no.”

A flash of surprise appeared on Sam’s face for a split second.  “That better be a bad joke.”

“It was.”  While Gabriel said the words, it was also testing the water.  Sure, he had all the confidence in the world, but there was a reason he’d marked Sam.  It made sure everyone _else_ would keep their filthy mitts off.  Because who in their right mind _wouldn’t_ want him?  And after all the shit that had happened recently, he needed to make sure he was the only one Sam wanted, too.

“Okay, don’t be shocked if I send you a drunk text or two.”  Sam let himself be pulled downward.  “I’ll be thinking about you.”

“I’ll hide my phone on me just so I can see ’em.”  Gabriel winked and kissed Sam with tenderness before he sighed, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”  He lingered a breath away, not wanting to leave, before realizing he had to.  “All right, gotta try and get this studying done.  I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Have fun, Sasquatch.  But not too much.  Until you get home, that is.”

With a chuckle and a, “Deal,” Sam waved his goodbye and left.

Gabriel locked up behind him and sighed.

So what if he was slightly (okay, a little _more_ than slightly) disappointed that he had to miss out on tonight with Sam.  The fact that he’d even asked meant they were better than Gabriel thought they were.  This group of friends were a collection of people he’d been working with through the pre-law program and would continue to be apart of Sam’s life all through law school.  Hell, they may even be future colleagues.  Which meant Sam inviting Gabriel and introducing him as his boyfriend meant Sam hoped Gabriel would be around for that long as well.

He couldn’t help but feel like he’d fucked up again, in a way.

Not intentionally.

Just like when he had unintentionally missed out on meeting Sam’s brother.

Sam was making the effort to integrate Gabriel into his life, but one thing or another kept him at arm’s length, it made him into a ghost, of sorts.  The only person who really knew and could confirm Sam and he were a couple was Brady.  And Gabriel fucking hated Brady.

With a huff, Gabriel collapsed to the couch to do some channel surfing before he had to get ready for work.  He couldn’t help but be bummed out about the turn of events.  Even though he knew there was nothing he could do about it, it still sucked.

\--------------------

Being at work, while knowing Sam was out and having a good time, would normally have sucked—but Gabriel reminded himself that Sam was wearing his mark.  Which actually did _wonders_ for putting him in a better mood.  This was something Ezekiel noticed right away.

“I’m glad you’ve been so happy lately, Richard,” the man commented, making change for a customer.  “Are are two getting ready?”

Gabriel did a double take as he mixed up a tray of Jägerbombs, and asked, “Getting ready for what?”

Kind, gentlemanly Zeke actually shot him a patronizing expression and then motioned at his neck.  “Mating, of course.”

“Wait, wha—?  You think?”  Gabriel was flabbergasted as he handed the waitress the liquor and turned to face his coworker.  “No.  We, uh, just got a little handsy this morning, is all.”

“If you proudly wear each other’s mark, that’s a step away from mating.”  He said it as though it was common sense.  “It’s obvious you two are in love.  What’s keeping you from taking the next step?”

His curiosity was innocent.  He didn’t have any of the information, not even a friggin inclination about how ridiculous of an idea that would be.  Gabriel couldn’t fault him for that, but now that he’d brought it up?  Fuck.  Gabriel’s insides were doing all these weird, warm and fuzzy dance party things.  Which was not all right.

“He’s too young.”  That was the first thing Gabriel could come up with.

Because _that_ , at least, was true.

“And—” Could he say it?  Did he trust Zeke enough to hold back his judgment and hope it didn’t affect their relationship?  Fuck it.  “And we’re both alphas.”

To Ezekiel’s credit, he only flinched when he was delivering the next patron a beer.

He nodded in understanding and commented, “Oh.  I can see why that may be a problem.  You’re worried about how the world would look at you.”

“And the fact alphas can’t mate,”  Gabriel snapped, an aggression that came out of nowhere.

Maybe it was from a place of helplessness, but suddenly he felt defensive and he felt—

“Sorry.”  Gabriel had to apologize immediately.  “Didn’t mean to get bitchy.  I’m happy with Sam, really happy.  Nothing has to change, we’re good right where we are, so let’s just leave it at that?”

“I understand.”  Zeke’s scent was kind, as always, and he went as far as to pat Gabriel on the back.  “You’re right though, what you have is good, Richard.  Hold on to that.”

“I plan to.”  He winked and noticed there was a buzzing text coming from his back pocket.  “Uh, is the boss in tonight?”

Zeke was taking another order, but as soon as he went to fill a pitcher he answered, “No, on vacation.  Why?”

“The boyfriend is out with his friends and I think I’m getting the first of the drunk texts.  Don’t mind me, if I have to spend a hot sec making fun of him from time to time, yeah?”  Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows and pulled out his phone.

“Only if you read the good ones aloud.”

“I can do that.”  The alpha pulled out his phone, noticing all the customers in front of him had full drinks and there weren’t any waitresses with orders as he thumbed through to see Sam had sent him five, not one text already.

_10:31PM  
_ _We’re at that same club again where you were VIP_

_11:01PM  
_ _Looks like everyone’s here to get hammered and bradys buying round after round of shots_

_11:11PM  
_ _Mark worked lots of people asked where my mate was tonight lol_

_11:13PM  
_ _im expecting sex_

_11:20PM  
_ _next date lets go dancing I didn’t know I likes dancing but I think I really do_

Gabriel frowned at the screen because this was…weird.

Not weird that Sam could be getting drunk in less than an hour, if Gabriel was in that company he’d be drunk in ten minutes flat, but the fact that Sam was so…outgoing?  Cheery?  Using ‘lol’?

Gabriel turned his back to the bar momentarily to send a text back:

_11:22PM  
_ _ur mate is bringing home the bacon ;) sex I agree to, dancing idk I didn’t even know you danced wtf lol_

Almost immediately, Sam responded:

_11:23PM  
_ _I didn’t either its fun maybe if you won’t dance with me ill dance for you ;)_

_11:23PM  
_ _soooooo many good song_

Although a bit baffled and aroused at the same time, Gabriel had to remember he was at work.  Shit, Sam must have left really, really horny if he was offering a strip tease.   He must also be really, really drunk right now.  How did that happen so fast?  Gabriel may have to save this conversation as blackmail and present it to the younger alpha as cold hard facts later.  That he owed him a ‘dance.‘

With a laugh and a shake of his head, Gabriel typed out:

_11:24PM  
_ _Ok beyonce im glad ur having fun and save that dance for me tonight_

And tucked his phone back into his pocket quickly, because he heard a voice calling to get his attention for a refill.

He turned around with a wide smile and asked, “What can I get for you?”

\----------------

The night continued to pass with Ezekiel and Gabriel working around each other flawlessly, but it was getting to that rowdy, busy part of the night where everyone was getting a little looser when it came to their wallets and every single patron wanted to turn their buzz into intoxication.  The two men barely had time to breathe, let alone Gabriel having time to check his phone that had been vibrating, and the only time he thought he had a second, he was wrong.

He had it in his hand, about to click it on, when he heard a woman’s voice call out to him from behind.

Gabriel huffed, but pasted on a smile and made a beeline for her, hoping once she was served he could text Sam back.

“Oh.”  The woman who’d called him over was clearly drunk, and stuck out her lower lip. “I was checking out your ass and was hoping to get a Cosmo _and_ your number, but it looks like you’re taken.”

“Sorry, sweetheart.”  Gabriel winked because he was never above flirting for his tips. “While I may be off the market, I can get you the best Cosmo you’ve ever tasted.”

She practically purred while Gabriel began mixing the drink and leaned forward, cleavage nearly spilling out of her shirt.  “That’s a shame.  Sure you wouldn’t make an exception for little me?”

“Babe, you’re gorgeous,” he said, sliding her the drink. “I bet you could get any man in this bar.  I’m nothing special, go find a gentleman who deserves you.”

“But what’ll it take to get _you_?”

God, this chick just wasn’t letting up, was she?

“Besides shooting him with a tranquilizing dart, tying him up and carrying him home?”  Zeke interrupted, “Nothing.  He’s in a very happy relationship, miss.  I’m sorry to say.”

Gabriel had taken an inhale to laugh, but then the air was sucked from his lungs, completely.

“Richard?”

Suddenly, it all clicked.

The way Sam had been texting him.

The bar.  And what happened on his previous visit.  

Last time Sam was at _that_ bar, he was with that same fucking group of friend.

Someone had slipped something into his drink.

Cas had knocked it out of his hand and saved him last time, but Gabriel had never told Sam someone was trying to roofie him to fucking begin with.  He would never be looking out for it.  Sam would _never_ think he was a target.  But, apparently, if Gabriel was reading this situation right (and he hoped to God he wasn't) Sam still was.  
  
His texts, his demeanor, his fucking ‘life of the party’, completely uncharacteristic attitude all pointed to one thing.

This _had_ to be GHB, he'd known his brother to do it recreationally, but it was also the most common fucking shit to slip into someone’s drink to—

Gabriel’s phone was in his hand and he was looking at _twelve_ unread text messages.

_11:26PM  
_ _beyonce is a new one_

_11:29PM  
_ _Tonights awesome wish you were here_

_11:32PM  
_ _I love you so much_

_12:01AM  
_ _Idon’t think im cut out for this anymore_

_12:02AM  
_ _too old to party_

_12:39AM  
_ _dunno if we can have sextonight_

_12:41AM  
_ _Not feeling good_

_12:45AM  
_ _Gabe_

_12:50AM  
_ _ithink somethings wrong_

_12:51AM  
_ _I don’t know what to do brdady just says I drank tomuch_

_12:55AM  
_ _Buti didn’t_

_12:59AM  
_ _thisnt right gabe_

Gabriel’s knuckles were white from where he was gripping the phone and looked to see that the last text was sent ten minutes ago.  Instantly, he dialed the number and headed towards the back room.

Zeke was hot on his heels, demanding, “What’s going on Richard?!”

As the phone rang and Gabriel’s heart was in his throat, he choked out, “I think Sam is in trouble.”

With wide eyes, Zeke nodded and looked around, thinking on his feet and saying, “I’ll try to get Hannah or take care of the bar myself.  We're almost closing anyway.  You get to him.”

Gabriel had his keys and his coat and was running out to the car as a voice that was decidedly not Sam answered.

“Hello?”

It was fucking Brady.

Gabriel schooled his features, as well as his voice, and went for a chipper, “Hey there, Brady!  Know where I can find my boyfriend?”

“Oh, Sam?”  The man chuckled lightheartedly, “He’s in the bathroom right now.  When did he turn into such a lightweight, by the way?  I saw you here before, and _you_ knew how to party.  I thought he’d be a pro!”

Even though Gabriel’s jaw was locked up, he went for a laugh and responded, “Yeah, we’ve been chillin’ out lately.  You know how OCD Sam gets about studying and preparing for law school.  Hell, you’ve seen it first hand.”

The alpha was in the car, tires screeching as he pulled out of the parking lot, listening to Brady say, “Don’t I know it.  We’re almost through the homework though.  That’ll be nice for you two, I know he’s been bummed you haven’t spent a lot of time together.”

“Yeah.  Ya know, as nice as this heart-to-heart has been, is Sam back yet?”

“Uh—”

There’s a pause, as though he was scoping out the area, looking for the tall alpha through the crowd.  Gabriel knew there was something amiss, something terribly wrong.  And the question was whether Brady knew it or not.  If he’s _ignorant_ or if he was the mother-fucking _culprit_.

Gabriel didn’t give a shit about the red light he had just run.  He continued dodging through traffic, until he heard Brady’s voice again.

“I don’t think so.  Maybe he’s at the bar, or something.”

Gabriel could see the glowing lights of the club’s marquee, since both the strip club and this place were in the shadier part of town.  “All right, well, have him give me a call when he’s back to his phone, will ya?”

“No prob, Gabe.  Talk to you later.”

“See ya, Brady.”

Gabriel chucked his phone into the passenger’s seat so hard it ricocheted and knocked upwards against the glove box, only to disappear someone on the floor.  It’s not like he fucking needed it.  Sam was obviously detached from his phone, so Gabriel would have to do this the old fashioned way.    
  
One of the men working the door yelled at him for parking in the handicapped spot and Gabriel stalked right into his space until there was only inches between them.

“What’s your name?”  He demanded, tone sheer ice and pure alpha.

The bouncer stuttered, “F-Felix.”

“All right, Felix,” Gabriel enunciated slowly, “here’s what’s gonna happen.  I’m going into your club to find my boyfriend, who’s been drugged.  I’m going to keep my car running and you’re going to watch it for me.  Can you do that, Felix?”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

“Good.”  He maintained eye contact until he turned to the doors of the club and walked in.

It was the kind of clusterfuck he remembered from last time.  Drugs, booze, sex, sweat—everything that made up the perfect little hideaway for all the creeps and freaks who wanted to get away on a Friday night.  He spotted Brady and the crew in a booth over to the right, but Sam was not with them.

The alpha wasn’t lying over the phone.  But why would Sam leave his phone?

Shit just got real.  Gabriel’s stomach was tied in knots, he wasn’t thinking clearly and that’s when it hit him that he needed to take a deep breath and use one of the advantages he had over probably anyone else in here.  He _couldn’t_ be emotional.  He _needed_ to get himself together and centered, because being a true alpha wasn’t only about strength and the power of suggestion.

It was about being in tuned with the alpha wolf’s instincts and senses.

He took in a deep inhale through his nose and tried to pick out any sign of his boyfriend’s scent in the crowd.

He found the trail.

Gabriel simultaneously dodged through the crowd, kept himself hidden from the table of ‘friends’ and followed Sam’s scent at the same time.  The closer he got, the more he could analyze the nuances in his scent and soon he was throwing open the door to the bathroom.

Last time he was in here, it was to unexpectedly face Sam when he was trying to clean spilled, spiked whiskey off himself from when Cas had dumped the drink on him.  This time…

Gabriel’s nose led him to the handicapped stall where Sam was curled up in the corner, panting and shaking.

“Sam,” Gabriel dove to his knees in front of the man, who was ghostly white and couldn’t quite look him in the eyes.  Sam was confused—unsure if Gabriel was in front of him and real.  “Hey, Sam, look at me.  I’m here, I’m—”

“I threw up—” he gushed, “but I only had a couple shots and three drinks.  I don’t know what’s happening, are you seriously here?”  When he finally looked up, there was a glaze of wetness covering his eyes and his puzzlement was the scent surrounding him.  “I was…everything was _so fun_ , but then I—I know my body, I know when something isn’t right, and it’s _not_ , it’s, _Gabe_ , it’s—”

“Come on, babe, we’re getting you out of here.  Now.  I’ll explain everything on the way.  Just take some deep breaths for me.  Can you do that?”  Gabriel cupped both his cheeks and stared him down with determination.   He was unafraid for the first time of using his true alpha voice on Sam.  

Because it could be saving his goddamn life.

Sam nodded and took the order seriously, while he visibly took his breaths in and out, chest rising and falling.

With Gabriel’s help, they pulled him off the bathroom floor and walked him out through the crowd.  Felix was waiting for their return, and even went as far as to open the door for Sam when Gabriel remembered he still had one thing to do.

He kissed Sam’s forehead, said, “Give me ten seconds,” and disappeared back into the club.

Gabriel easily located their table, and Brady looked alarmed to see him.

“Woah!  Hey, Gabriel!  What’s up?”

“Sam’s phone.”  He held out his hand, waiting.

The strange part was the fact that it wasn’t sitting around the table like everyone else’s.  Brady pulled it from the inside of his coat pocket, while asking, “I take it you found him?”

“Yup.”  Gabriel flashed a completely empty smile, if only to see Brady’s reaction.

“Is he all right?”

God, it took every single ounce of control Gabriel possessed not to wind up and sucker punch this piece of shit across the goddamn face.  His fingertips were itching, _needing_ to be balled up into a fist.  His inner alpha was howling.  But he _wouldn’t_ do it.  Because he needed the jump on him.  So he had to act unassuming, innocent.

“Not feeling too hot.  I’m gonna take him home.  Have a good night, kiddos!”  He waved and forced himself to keep his feet steady.

Until he was out the front door, past Felix, and into his car.

He shifted it into drive and looked over to see Sam was having trouble keeping his eyes open, they were beginning to roll back into his head.

“No, no, no, Sammy.  Dammit!  Talk to me!”  Gabriel demanded as he turned onto the expressway.

It snapped him out of it and he looked over with those hurt puppy eyes and tried to grab for Gabriel’s hand.  But it was wrapped around Sam’s phone, because not only did Gabriel have no idea where his own phone had landed, he had a call to make.  Gabriel was lucky he had a photographic memory, because she was the only person he knew who would have what he was looking for.

While it rang, Gabriel assured Sam, “I’m gonna hold the fuck out of your hand as soon as I finish this up, all right?  Then I’ll tell you exactly what’s going on.  Just stay with me, Sammy.  You’re _not_ allowed to take a nap right now.  You owe me a dance, remember?”

The other line picked up, and demanded, “Who the fuck is this?”

“Meg.  Thank God, are you still in the city?”

“Gabe?”  There was shock in her voice, “Yeah, I am.  What’s going on?”

“Need help.  Lorazepam fights GHB OD’s, right?”  He knew he was speaking a mile a minute, but continued anyway, “And are you selling any?”

“You could use lorazepam or diazepam,” Meg confirmed just as quickly, understanding this was an urgent situation by the condition of Gabriel’s voice and the question alone. “I don’t know if using the big words makes it feel like any less of a drug deal, but I prefer the market terms.   I just ran out of the Ativan, but I have Valium.  Shit, sounds like you’ve got a situation.  I, uh, can get out to you in ten if you need me.”

“God, thank you.   _So much._  I’ll see you soon.”  He hung up on her and out of habit deleted the number from Sam’s phone.

Once the cellphone had reached its usefulness, he reached out and grabbed Sam’s lax hand like a lifeline.  There was a twitch from the other alpha, his skin cold and clammy, and Sam gave him a gradual squeeze back.  He was still here, still awake—and Gabriel could feel him staring.

“You said…what’s happening?”

“You were roofied, kid.”  Gabriel said it bluntly.  “It took me a while to figure it out from your texts and by the time I did it was too late.  GHB, it’s a common date rape drug.  It’s basically ecstasy.  Party central, euphoria, everything’s a grand old time but the high doesn’t last long.  My guess?  Whoever was dosing you got it wrong on round two because you’re a giant and now you’re OD’ing.  I don’t know why you’re a target.  But...this ain’t the first time.”

“ _What_?”  Sam asked, fingers absently stroking Gabriel’s arm while his voice was alarmed.  “When did it happen before?”

“Our second meeting.”  His snort with rueful.  “Remember that drink that was dumped on you?  I sent that dude out there to do it.  I saw something go in that drink.  I couldn’t—”  Gabriel got choked up as he pulled into his apartment.  “I _knew_ you wouldn’t believe me after the way I ditched you.  If my opening line was ‘someone spiked your drink’ you woulda thought it was BS and chugged it just to spite me.  So I had someone get rid of it.”

“You cared,” Sam realized, unwilling to let go of Gabriel even though they’d arrived.  “Even back then.”

“Yeah.”  He nodded with affirmation.  “And right now?  I’m trying to keep you alive and kickin‘.  We don't know how much they gave you.  I don‘t know what whoever it was had planned for you, but I‘m glad I got there in time and you were hiding in the bathroom.”

Gabriel got out of the driver’s side and whipped around to the passenger’s to help Sam out.  While allowing Sam to use him as a crutch he tried to examine his scent, undistorted by all the bullshit of the club and his own inner turmoil brewing in the car.

Fuck—there was _a lot_ of it in his system.

Right as they finished their ascent and Gabriel was unlocking the door, he saw the flash of headlights and a familiar omega hopping out of her car and running to the stairwell.  Her heels were loud against the rickety old metal, and Meg was joining the two in no time.

They all entered the apartment together and her eyes were wide as Gabriel dragged him to the bedroom and laid him down.   He wasn’t going to tuck Sam in yet, he still needed to undress him and get him ready for bed.  Gabriel made sure he was on his side so he didn’t choke on his own vomit, if he still had some left.

Once the alpha reemerged, Meg commented with no sass whatsoever, “You’re still together.”

“Yeah,” Gabriel was running his hands through his hair, tugging at it.  “And I love him.  And I’m scared, Meg.  Did you bring it?  How much do I owe you?”

“You don’t owe me anything.  After everything you’ve done for us?”  She shook her head and dug into her purse to bring out a small case with a syringe and Gabriel’s heart _dropped_.  “I brought the injectable form, since I didn’t know how he was doing and if he’d be able to keep anything oral down.”  When she reached across and saw Gabriel’s expression, she tilted her head to the side and asked, “Hey, are you alright?”

He tried to shake it off, mumbled something about “how this night couldn’t get any worse,” because the last thing Sam needed was another fucking _drug_ administered with a fucking _needle_.  It would remind him of the heroin all over again.  But now that he was think about it…

What if _that_ was the reason behind all this?

It all crashed down like a fucking demolition team had sent a wrecking ball to tear down a wall in his head.

Very evenly he said, “I’m okay, Meg.  Thank you so much, again.  I’ve gotta get this to Sam,” he reached out to wrap his arms around the omega, hoping she felt some small modicum of how deep his gratefulness ran.

She let herself out, and he had to turn around and jog his way back to Sam.

He was still shaking, gripping at the sheets and Gabriel didn’t want to demand his full consciousness right away.  He wanted to use Sam’s daze to his advantage, to hope _desperately_ the young alpha didn’t know what was happening, and he didn’t remember this in the morning.  Gabriel couldn’t let Sam do this—he wouldn’t allow him to ever feel a syringe in his grasp again, this was a demon Gabriel _had_ to attempt to keep from him tonight.

Gabriel had to unbutton the dress shirt, and roll up the sleeves as far as it’s go until he could scan the stretch of skin and find a good vein.

“G-Gabe?”

_Of_ fucking _course_ , that’s when he woke up.

Gabriel hid the shot and kissed Sam’s cheek, explaining, “Got something that’s gonna calm you down, Moose, since your nervous system’s all riled up, okay?”  He cupped Sam’s cheek and forced his sleepy eyes to look at him, “Do you trust me?”

“Mmhm,” he nodded, clammy hand covering Gabriel’s, “you know I do.”

“Good.”  Gabriel brought their joined hands to his mouth and kissed Sam’s knuckles.  “I need you to look away for a second, even when you feel a little poke.  I’ll let you know when we’re done, okay?  You will if you trust me, I need to fix you, _please_.”

“Okay,” he nodded, and Sam released Gabriel’s arm, closing his eyes.

Gabriel lingered as the younger alpha’s eyes were literally squeezed shut and he moved as quickly as he could.  He found the vein he was looking for again and slowly pushed in the needle without so much as a flinch from Sam, and pumped in the Valium.  The second it was over was the second he needed to get rid of the syringe.  He pulled Sam’s shirt sleeve back down, ran out to the kitchen, stuck it back into the case Meg gave him and tossed it into the trash.  He tied up the trash bag and threw it out into his goddamn hall in a fit.

He felt _dirty_ , having to do that to Sam, but then he jogged back to him and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Sorry, I uh, don’t know what came over me.  How are you feeling?”  Gabriel leaned in and ran his hands through the brown locks.

“Sick.  Sleepy.”  Sam’s dazed eyes met Gabriel’s as he reached out to feel for the younger alpha’s pulse.

It was still racing, the Valium not having a chance to slow down his CNR quite yet, so Gabe reported, “Need to keep you awake a little longer.  I bet you’re sick of those clothes, right?  How about we get you into something more comfortable.”

“All right.”  There wasn’t much Sam would argue with right now, as he pushed himself and tried to sit up on the bed, but couldn’t make it.

Gabriel realized his heart was beating as fast as Sam’s, and he hadn’t known fear as real as this in a _long_ time.  Not since _Cas_ overdosed.  But this wasn’t _Sam’s_ fault, he didn’t make the _choice_ to swallow down the drugs, he was _targeted,_ he was…  
  
Gabriel was going to rip someone apart, piece by piece.

“It’s okay.”  Gabriel rushed to Sam’s side when he couldn’t get up on his own, and said with a wiggle of eyebrows, “We’ll play dress up, yeah?  And then, hopefully, you’ll be ready for bed.  Major perk about being with a true alpha.  I’m strong as fuck.”

The smallest tug of a smile quirked on Sam’s face as a barely coherent, “Thank you, I don’t know what would’ve happened without you,” formed on his lips, followed by a, “love you so fuckin’ much, Gabe.”

He couldn’t stand to be away from him another goddamn second.  He knelt at the foot of the bed where Sam was facing and wrapped his arms around him anyway he could manage.   Gabriel buried his face in Sam’s neck and kissed every inch of cold-sweating skin he could reach.  He kissed him over and over again because he _needed to_ , he couldn’t stop himself, after he said, “Ditto, kid.”


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Gabriel remained by the side of the bed with Sam all night, checking his breathing, using a damp cloth to wipe his brow and making sure nothing went wrong in his sleep.  He kept a waste basket by his side in case he had to throw up, and while he was keeping his vigil responded to the worried texts he got from both Zeke and, strangely, Meg.

He told Zeke the truth.  They were close enough for it, and Zeke was livid.  The other alpha wrote Gabriel a novel about figuring out who did it and bringing them to the cops.  Ironically enough, Zeke was currently at the strip club to pay his way through school, the best part of it all being he was going into Criminal Justice.  And Gabriel was a still wanted fugitive.  Funny, how those things worked out.

Gabriel responded to Zeke that he didn’t know who did it, even though he had an inkling.  He was going to handle it himself, not get the police involved.  Because Gabriel knew he was much, _much_ more thorough and deadly than the cops would ever be.

Zeke informed him that he’d find someone to take Gabriel’s next shift, since it was obvious the alpha wouldn’t get any sleep, and this was the kind of emergency you couldn’t be at work after.  Being so rattled, unhinged and emotionally exhausted would lead to broken glasses and snapping at patrons.  Plus, Gabriel refused to leave Sam anytime soon.  Needless to say, Gabriel was thankful to have a friends like Zeke.

Meg sent him a text after she got home, saying the effects should be kicking in now and asked how was the Moose doing.  He confirmed his heart was much less hummingbird and turning back into a human being.  Gabriel also thanked her profusely, which Meg brushed off, because that was a Meg thing to do.

Still, he never knew how lucky he was to have a friend in her.

He mused over how ridiculous their friendship was, as he set an ashtray on the nightstand and chain-smoked from where he was sitting on the floor, continuing his vigil.  He couldn’t keep his own goddamn heartbeat down, and he wasn’t going to leave Sam to sit near the open window.  He wasn’t going to leave Sam for _anything_.

He didn’t want to take him to the hospital.

The was the last thing he wanted.

After all, who the hell would want to date rape an alpha male with Sam's build and his height?  No, they’d automatically assume he was using it as a club drug and OD’d.  They’d treat him like an _addict_ , belittle him and patronize him, when Sam was the victim.  Then, Gabriel would fly off the fucking handle and it’d be a fucking shit show.

That’s why when it happened he had to go through his brain and pick the knowledge out about what treatment went with what overdoses.

Maybe Cas was a blessing in disguise—he had more information than he’d ever wanted in a lifetime because of his druggie brother, but this may have saved Sam’s life.  It was worth it.

It wasn’t until dawn that Gabriel finally felt his eyelids getting heavy and he passed out, leaning against the edge of the bed.  He was holding Sam’s hand, his weight propped against the side while his ass was on the floor.  He figured they’d made it through the woods, but he wanted to be here in case Sam woke up, vomiting.

\----------------

Why did it feel like he’d sweated out a fever?

Sam’s clothes were sticking to him, his head was a little fuzzy and his eyes were having a hell of a time opening.  He could scent Gabriel next to him, but couldn't feel his body spooning his.  Just…his hand?

Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at the clock to see it was past ten o’clock and Gabriel was on the floor next to him.  Why was Gabriel on the floor?  Why wasn’t he in bed?  The clock was familiar, but whose bed was Sam even in-

Then, the night came back to him and hit him like a ton of bricks.

His head was filled with confusion, his breathing came out more rapidly, but there one thing he needed to do.  He backed up in the bed and tugged the other alpha off the carpet, who jerked awake right away.

“Sam.”  Gabriel’s voice was consumed by worry, as he was pulled into the bed.  “Are you okay?  Do you need anything?  What can I—”

“You saved me.”  His eyes were wide, and he thought aloud, “I’m putting together the pieces, but I don’t know… shit, I think I blacked out after I saw you…I didn’t know it at the time, I thought it was the alcohol but now I’m realizing it was like E at first.   _Fuck_.”

“Yeah.”  Gabriel huffed out. “First round of texts?  I thought you were really, really drunk.  But then I realized that—”

“It wasn’t the first time.  You told me that last night.  Or I think you did?  Everything’s so blurry.”  Sam looked terrified, and his scent reflected it.

“Yeah, no, you’re not making that up, I did tell you that,” Gabriel swiftly tried to assure him in a calming voice.  “Do you remember anything about who you were with?  Who could have done it?”  He cradled Sam’s face with his palm, and didn’t want to say the next words—but knew he had to.  “It was the same place.  But more importantly, it was the same _group_ , Sam.  I know, I had to go back and get your phone.  Which wasn’t on the table, Brady was holding it.   _Why_ would he do that?”

“I-I,” he stuttered out, “I don’t know, Gabe, I—” Sam shook his head, and Gabriel could scent his panic raising, which was not something he needed right now.

“Shh, we can figure this out later.”  He pulled the shaking alpha forward into his embrace and kissed his brow.  “You need the day off.  And me waiting on you, hand and foot, all right?”

Sam was all arms and legs as he reached out and tangled himself around Gabriel.  “I overdosed, I know it.  The end of the night was…I can’t remember.  How did you…?”

“I swooped in and saved the day.  Plus, I know a lot of things about a lot of things, kiddo,” he admitted, running his hands through Sam’s hair.  “All they do at the hospital is get your heart rate under control through some relaxants.  I have a friend who had some on hand and helped out.  Fuck hospitals, I knew I could take care of you just as good, if not _better —_ so I did.”

“Yeah,”  Sam confirmed with a nod and a shift closer, “you did.  I just don’t understand _why_ someone would do this to me.”

“That’s the real question, isn’t it?”  Gabriel tried to keep his voice even because he didn’t want to worry Sam anymore than he already was.

He needed to be calm, support him, and take care of him now.  Everything else would fall into place.  Gabriel would make sure of it.

“Can we sleep more?  Jesus, I feel like I got hit by a train.  And...I sleep better when you’re here,”  Sam admitted from where he was using Gabriel’s chest as a pillow.

“I sleep much better in a bed than on the ground,” Gabriel chuckled, then lifted Sam’s chin to kiss him on the lips.  “Oh, and you’re an added bonus.”

There was a tug of a smirk on his features, so Gabriel considered that a win.

He lingered for one more kiss, reminding himself that everything was alright, Sam was all right and he thanked God for this moment.  As much as he craved revenge on the fucker who did this, he needed to stay right here, because he _never_ wanted to lose this.  They settled against each other, and Gabriel fell asleep in record time, emotionally and physically exhausted from everything that had happened that night.

\---------------------

Gabriel had no idea how he did it, considering he was the one who needed more sleep, but he was happy he woke up before Sam again.

Because he had something he needed to do.

It took a little bit of time to extract his limb sneakily enough from Sam’s, making sure he didn’t wake the other alpha, but once he did he grabbed a cell phone.

Gabriel didn’t grab his _own_ cell phone—he grabbed _Sam’s_.

Then he made his way to the balcony, where he knew his voice wouldn’t carry and wake the sleeping alpha.

He scrolled through Sam’s contacts on a very specific mission and prayed this panned out.  Gabriel knew he was taking a bit of a risk and he would need to be careful when choosing his words, but this was the only way he knew how to get the job done without Sam’s knowledge.  Hopefully.

Gabriel clicked on the contact and took a deep breath as it rang.

“Hey bitch!”  The voice greeted cheerfully, “What’s up!”

“Hah, nope, this isn’t Sammy.  This is the elusive boyfriend, actually.”

Sam’s brother, who he knew was named Dean, seemed to be taken completely taken off guard as he stuttered, “Uh, oh.  Hey.  Why are you calling from Sam’s phone?”

“Nice to meet ya, too, I’ll cut to the chase.  Do you know Sam’s friend Tyson Brady?”  Gabriel tried to keep his voice light-hearted and even.

“Yeah.  He’s a dick.”  Dean scoffed and stated without preamble.

“Glad we agree on that one.  So I’m gonna go out on a limb here.  When you were visiting, did Sam have any study sessions over at his place?”

“Yeah, one time.  I’m guessing the next question is you askin’ me where me lives.”  Dean’s hackles suddenly rose, when he added in, “But before I tell you, you’re gonna tell me why you need to know.”

“I need to have a conversation with him,” Gabriel said smoothly.  “I’ve got a bad feeling about him.  Have since day one.  I know for a fact he’s been pressuring Sam with drugs recently, and I’m going to pay him a visit which will end with him backing off for good.”

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?!  I’m gonna rip that prick a new asshole!” Dean cursed into the phone, “I swear to God— _fuck_.  But dude.  I’ve met him.  Unless you corner him and you’ve got a gun, I don’t know what you’ll be able—”

“Dean, I don’t know if Sam told you and I hope this doesn’t bother you, but I’m a true alpha.  There’s _plenty_ I can do to him.”

Gabriel didn’t like the silence over the phone while Dean was probably processing the information.

Gabriel had to add, “I’m in love with your brother.  I know about…his history.  What you’ve done for him.  And I’m _not_ going to let that go to waste.  My conversation with Brady will be just that.  A conversation.  Whether he shits his pants or not is his problem.  But he’s something that needs to be dealt with.”

“Yeah.  All right.”  Dean took a deep breath and explained, “I don’t have an address, but when I picked Sam up, there were these apartments on the west side of campus.  Pretty sure they were called Spring Hill apartments.  He lived on the second floor of the first building right when you turn in.  I remember for sure it was apartment 23.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel said with as much gratitude as he could muster, filing the information away in his brain.  “Please don’t mention this conversation to Sam.”

“Hey, do what you gotta do.  Pretty sure I’d be doing the same thing,” Dean admitted.  Then, after a small pause he said, “You really do love him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I really do.”  For the first time during the conversation, Gabriel could feel a small smile on his face.

“Good.  ‘Cause I know he’s grossly, disgustingly head over heels for you, too,” Dean lamented dramatically.  “Okay, you take care of him since I’m not there.  Shit, I don’t know, try to find someway to get back to me?”

“I will.  Not sure how soon I’ll be able to corner Brady.  I think their summer work is about finished and I’ll try to get Sam to finish up on his own, here.  Maybe I’ll make a ‘grocery run’ and break in, then.”  Gabriel was thinking out loud.

“…Did you just say break in?”

“Did I?  I meant politely knock for tea and crumpets.”  Gabriel didn’t even care what was coming out of his mouth, because all he could think about was Brady and his blood was boiling.

“Hell, I don’t care.  Do your thing.  Just get back to me, dude.”

“Deal.  Okay, I’m gonna start cooking breakfast for Sam.  Thanks for the info.”  Gabriel needed to cut this short, because he saw movement from inside the apartment.

“Hey, you never even told me your name—”

But he had hung up and jammed the phone into his back pocket as he snuck his way back inside and towards the kitchen.

“I thought I told you I’d be waiting on you hand and foot,” Gabriel teased as Sam slowly made his way through the hall and out into the dining area.  “Once in a lifetime opportunity, and you’re squandering it!”

“Just wanted to stretch my legs.” Sam gave him a soft smile.  “Why were you outside?”

“Checking out the weather and debating on smoking,” he shrugged but moved back to the door, opening the glass but leaving the screen in place.  “But then I realized I probably gave myself lung cancer last night, but it’s warm enough to air the place out.”

“I’m sorry about that—”

“Don’t you _dare_ apologize—” Gabriel was charging up into his space and grabbing Sam’s neck to haul him down into a kiss.  When he released him he asked, “What do you want for breakfast?  I think I’ve got the goods for whatever the princess wants.”

“I-I don’t know.”  Sam was chasing after Gabriel’s mouth for another kiss wearing a grin, but the other alpha was dodging him.  “I’m not that hungry.”

Gabriel moved away completely and grabbed the back of a chair to pull out and push Sam down on, reprimanding, “You were throwing up all night.  You’ve got zero _anything_ in your stomach.  So c’mon.  Tell me what sounds good.”

“You.”

“You’re adorably sassy this morning.”  Gabriel couldn’t help the huge grin that was on his face.

Because Sam was all right.  He’d made it through the night and he was just as cheeky as always.  Fuck, thank God things had turned out okay.

“Think on it, I’m gonna grab a more comfy shirt and be right back.”  He winked and headed back to the bedroom.

As he did, he pulled Sam’s phone back out and deleted the evidence of the three minute phone call between himself and Dean.  He put Sam’s phone back where it was laying the night before and then did what he said he would do.  He pulled off the rumpled shirt in exchange for a comfortable one, and decided to the same with his pants and grabbed a pair of sweats.

He wasn’t planning on letting Sam leave today so he, himself, might as well get comfy, too.

He took a deep breath in, telling himself the worst was over and everything was alright.

Then Gabriel walked back into the dining room to see his overgrown puppy and asked with a huge smile, “So, what did you decide on?”

\---------------

After a late breakfast, Gabriel had no idea the second time they woke up was around noon, he made sure Sam got comfortable on the couch to relax, even though he assured Gabriel he was fine.

Which ended up with Gabriel having to lay down the, “If you’re not gonna do it for you, do it for me,” rule, which Sam couldn’t refuse.

He made sure to get as much liquids back into the younger alpha as he could, but then his mother-henning brain was shouting at him about electrolytes and carbs, and why didn’t he have any Gatorade?  Then, he remembered the conversation he had earlier with Dean and thought about logistics.

Gabriel hadn’t plotted like this in a while, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t like riding a bike.  Fuck, it made him remember that he wasn’t the great guy Sam thought he was, because of the thoughts and plans running through his head and how he could make this work.

He looked over his shoulder to where Sam was obediently laying on the couch, and walked back to the bedroom to grab his phone again.

Gabriel typed in a text and grabbed a cigarette (even though his lungs were raw, he still needed a cover) and went out to the balcony to smoke as he waited for a response.

Once it came, everything was set into motion.

Gabriel swiftly deleted the conversation and went back inside to pull on some jeans and a hoodie.  He kept Sam’s phone tucked in his back pocket, the sweatshirt long enough to obstruct it from view, and crouched down in front of Sam with his own phone out.

“I’m making a list,” he announced, pecking a kiss to Sam’s forehead.  “I’m getting you some of that dumb health drink stuff, and then whatever you want me to cook up for dinner,” he made a show of flashing the list app in front of Sam’s face.  “What sounds good?”

“Something easy, since I know you’re going to go grocery shopping no matter what and I won‘t be able to stop you,” Sam was grinning at him.  “What about pasta?”

“Spaghetti and meatballs, my tramp?”  Gabriel couldn’t help but tease him and cover the mark he’d left the previous day with his lips.  “That works.  I’ll get cheesy bread, too.  Whatcha thinking for dessert?”

“I get dessert, too?”  Sam rolled onto his back and tugged Gabriel to sit with him.  “You’re my dessert.  Since, obviously, last night didn’t work out so well.”

“We’ll see how you’re doing.”  He allowed himself to be pulled, because Sam was being affectionate as hell and he hated he had to run out and waste even a second of it.  “I’ll be back in no time.”

He draped his torso over Sam’s and accepted the eager kisses, while he cupped his cheek and thanked God it was warm.

Gabriel was going to have nightmares about the clammy, chilled, sweat-covered skin of his boyfriend for a long while.  That’s why he let himself get lost in the pull of Sam’s arms and his mouth.

He hummed and slowly pulled away, because even though Sam didn’t know it, Gabriel was on a time schedule.  Gabriel kissed the tip of his nose and whispered, “I love you,” before he sat back up and let his fingertips brush over the mark he’d left on Sam’s neck.

“Love you, too.”  Sam smiled openly and smacked his shoulder. “Hurry.  You’re supposed to be waiting on me hand and foot, and so far you’ve been lacking in the cuddle department.”  He stopped himself abruptly, then laughed, “Oh my God.  I just bitched about not being cuddled.  I think I have brain damage from last night.”

“Nah, I just happen to be an excellent cuddle buddy.”  Gabriel couldn’t help but snicker. “I’ll hurry, I promise,” he assured Sam as he headed for the door and grabbed a light jacket.  “Then you’ll get all the cuddles your little heart desires.”

“Shut up.  I’m never living that one down, I already know it.”

“Nope.  Never.”

\---------------

Gabriel knew he had to move fast, but he already had his plan and a mental map of where he was going, along with the ‘traffic accident’ excuse on the tip of his tongue when he returned home to Sam.  As long as the young alpha didn’t notice his phone was missing, this should go flawlessly.

He was positioned just out of sight from the peephole and knocking on the door from a heightened angle.  An angle that Sam would have used when knocking.

So when Brady opened it, and greeted the person on the other side with the words, “I couldn’t find the last book on the list—” Gabriel was able to seamlessly block his path and shove him back inside the apartment, pulling the door closed behind them.

Brady blinked with an armful of folders and textbooks and gushed, “You’re not Sam.”

“What gave it away?”  Gabriel continued to walk inside, the other alpha turning around with confusion written all over his face.

“Did, uh, Sam send you to get the homework he texted me about?”  He cleared his throat and re-gathered the materials in his arms.

“Nope.”  Gabriel popped the ‘p,’ and helped himself to one of the chairs set up by the breakfast bar.  “This was a set up.”

“A set up?”  He echoed and his scent began to reflect his nerves.  “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Last night, I had to rescue my boyfriend from a GHB overdose.  And that was about as much fun as you can imagine,” Gabriel shrugged his shoulders, keeping his tone even and collected.  “But, ya see, here’s the kicker.  This wasn’t the first time I’ve had to do it.  Back when you saw me with my ‘rich friends’ and my little ‘VIP Party’, as you called it, I spotted someone trying to roofie him then, too.”

Brady’s deposit of the books onto the table was far from graceful, as he asked, “Are you serious?  Is he okay?  I had no idea—”

“There.  Right _there_ is where I’m calling bullshit.”  Gabriel stood up and rounded on Brady who was frozen in his spot.  “Every time I see you, you smell like coke.  You and your little group are Sunday Junkies, and I’ll bet a couple million you’ve tried to get Sam to join the club.“  As he approached, Brady began slowly walking backwards.  “Common denominator of both these events?  You.”

The alpha’s nerves had turned to fright when his back collided with the wall and he realized he had nowhere else to go.  “Are you trying to say I roofied Sam?  Why the hell would I do that?  I know he’s with you, it’s not like you can date-rape—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Gabriel ordered in his true alpha voice and Brady’s mouth slammed shut.

Now his scent flared with _terror_.

“Let’s give this another go, shall we?”  Gabriel’s smile was eerie, given the circumstances—mostly, because Brady knew that the true alpha could probably order him to rip out his own bowels if he demanded it of him.  “Why did you do it?”

“B-because—” he was shaking while sweat dripped from his brow as he tried to form words.  “Because I wanted Sam to have a good time.  H-he’s too straight-laced, thought it was because he was a-afraid of disappointing his alpha b-boyfriend.  I never meant for h-him to OD, fuckin’ bitch must’ve put too much in his drink, that’s not _my_ fault!  I wanted him to loosen up and have f-fun, I never meant for him to—”

“Have a near-death experience?”  Gabriel’s arm snapped out of its own volition and his hand wrapped around the man’s throat.  “Yeah.  That sounds _really_ fucking _fun_.”

“I-I’m sorry—” Brady’s voice was choked and Gabriel’s influence had his arms locked at his sides, unable to even try to fight back.

He’d lose, anyway.

“You’re a worthless, bottom-feeding piece of shit.”  The true alpha’s tone was sheer ice even though his blood boiled hot with anger.  He wouldn’t let that get the best of him.  “If you even think of ‘having a good time’ with Sam again, I’ll rip you to shreds.  This ends here, or I’ll end you.”

Brady nodded profusely until the choke-hold around his windpipe was dropped.

“You may continue to be study buddies.  You’ll go through law school together, as friends, like this encounter between us never happened.  But if I hear of you inviting Sam out for a night of fun?  Knowing your brand of fun?”  Gabriel threw his head back with a chuckle, before he finished with, “I’ll gut you.”

Gabriel never broke eye contact when he asked, “Do you approve of these terms and conditions?  Not like you’ve gotta choice, but I’d really appreciate it if you accepted.”

“ _Yes_ , yes, _anything_.”  Brady was gasping for air as his knees gave out and he collapsed to the floor.  “I’m _sorry_ , I’m—”

“Nuh-uh-uh.  I don’t want to hear it.  Because, really?  I don’t care.  If Sam didn’t consider you a friend, we’d be having a whole other conversation with a completely different outcome.  So you should thank God, or Allah, or whoever the fuck you pray to that you mean something to him.”  Gabriel rolled his shoulders and sighed.  “I’d appreciate if you finished the rest of your guy’s homework too, since school’s right around the corner and I’ve barely had any time to spend with him lately.  Think you owe him that.”

“Yeah, okay, I got it.”

“Remember.  This conversation never happened.”

Gabriel gave Brady one more disgusted look before he scoffed and turned on his heels and left the apartment.  

However, one thing that had struck a chord was in Brady’s gushy ‘tell-all’ when he couldn’t lie, he mentioned Sam being afraid of disappointing his ‘alpha boyfriend.’  It was just another reminder about how the rest of the world viewed them, how Brady thought it made Sam less of a man, and the way he said the words held the connotations that Sam was Gabriel’s bitch.  It couldn’t be further from the truth—at least he hoped not.  God, he hoped not.  But remembering Sam’s rut, how his true alpha scent had Sam submitting to him…what if it were true?

He loathed thoughts like this, especially since they’d been brought about by a piece of shit who was worth less than dirt on the bottom of his shoe.  No, Gabriel had to shake this off.

While he was walking down the stairs, he pulled Sam’s phone out to follow up with one more person before he could tie this incident up with a nice, big bow.

As he got into his car, Dean answered more carefully this time with a simple, “Hello?” almost as though he was expecting it.

“Hey.  Matter’s been dealt with.  Thanks for the info.”

“Yeah, no prob.”  Then, after a pause, the omega had to ask, “So, did he shit his pants?”

Gabriel actually laughed as he started up the car, “There’s a very real chance that he did.”

\-------------------

When Gabriel came back to the apartment, he struggled to get the key in the lock because _maybe_ he had gone a little nuts grocery shopping.  And maybe he was one of those people who refused to make more than one trip from the car to the apartment.  Sam looked on in amusement as he struggled, but slowly stood up to assist him once he got the bags into the kitchen.

“All this for spaghetti and meatballs?”  He teased and began peering into the bags with interest.

“Thought we could have more home-cooked meals.  After all, I do pack you a lunch every day, maybe I could do more with dinner,” Gabriel answered with a grin. “And, drink,” he ordered when he pulled out a Gatorade, fresh from the check-out fridge.  “You need that.”

“Never seen an alpha so domesticated,” Sam commented while he began to help him unload the groceries.  “Where did you get that from?  Or were you born with it?”

Gabriel hesitated, his hands setting out what they needed to cook dinner and shrugged, “Comes with having a little brother.”

“I get that.”  Sam nodded and began moving perishables to the refrigerator.  “That’s how Dean got so good at cooking.  Feeding me.  Wow, now I feel like a mooch.”  He leaned against the door for a second before looking back at Gabriel and announcing, “You need to give me a chore list, or something.”

“That’d be weird, babe.  Then it’d look like I really was your big brother and that,” he crossed the room and grabbed Sam’s ass, “is neither part of my game plan nor a kink of mine.”

“Ew.”

“Yeah, I agree.”  Gabriel laughed and everything felt better, finally able to unwind, surrounded by Sam’s scent.

It was like a breath of fresh air and the sweetest kind.

They moved around each other as they unloaded the surplus of produce, drinks and other random food—Gabriel stealing glances while Sam stole kisses.  It was like last night never happened, and Gabriel had already made the steps to ensure it never happened again.

He still needed to ditch Sam’s phone back in the bedroom, though.  It was a heavy weight in his pocket that needed to be removed, even though he’d turned it to silent.

Gabriel began boiling water on the stove and got the sauce pan out while the meatballs thawed.  He excused himself, telling Sam he needed to get his comfortable clothes back on and ducked back into the room.  His flannel bottoms were still laying on the bed, ready and waiting, as he took the extra steps to set Sam’s phone back, all evidence erased.  After the device was off his person, he felt relief.

Now, it was over.

He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, yanking off the crisp denim in exchange for his pajama bottoms so the rest of the night could be spent in comfort.  Except, he nearly jumped a mile high when he heard a voice from the doorway say:

“You should just stay like that.”

When Gabriel turned around, Sam was leaning in said doorway and grinning.

“You looking for a strip show?”  Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows and hoped to God this was the first thing he saw and not the fact Gabriel had his phone.

“Maybe.”  There was an impish grin on his face as he stalked down the other alpha and pushed his ass down to the bed, boxing him in.  “I meant what I said.”

“About cuddling?  Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to snuggle you good and hard after din—”

“That, too.”  Sam tilted his head to the side as he lifted Gabriel’s chin up.  “We haven’t been together in…since my rut.”

“I know.”  Gabriel let his hands extend out and slowly run up and down Sam’s thighs in support, “But are you sure it’s the right time?”

“It’s the _best_ time.”  He finally crouched down in front of him and wrapped his arms loosely around the other alpha’s waist.  “Maybe last night was a wake up call.  Reminded me how much I need you.  How much you do for me, how much you take care of me and—”

Gabriel lifted a finger to Sam’s lips to quiet him.  “And it’s ‘cause I _wanna_.  I’ll do it all again, a million times over.  Now, let me put some pants on, we’ll get the jump on dinner and cuddle up with a movie.  See where things go from there.”

Sam’s scent was tinged with rejection, but that’s not what Gabriel had meant at all.  So he kissed his forehead and pulled Sam to his chest and very clearly said, “I’m not saying no.  So don’t pull out those puppy eyes!  Let me romance you, or something.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  He laughed and shook his head, looking up but catching Gabriel’s sincere eyes.  “Get your ass cooking, then.”

\---------------

They finished up the night curled together on the couch.  Sam got his ‘cuddle time’, which Gabriel could never let him live down, and the younger alpha’s scent was pleased.  For the most part.  When the movie was wrapping up, he glanced up at Gabriel from where he was pillowed in his lap and wrapped in his arms.

Gabriel could feel Sam’s eyes on him but he continued to play oblivious and watched the movie.  While the end credits were rolling, Gabriel reached for the controller but Sam intercepted it like he’d been waiting.  Because he probably was.

“It’s getting late.  Wanna go to bed?”  Sam asked, this time without looking up.

“Yeah, that sounds good.”  Gabriel ruffled his hair while he was unwrapping his arms and let Sam sit up.  “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better.  Maybe it was the emergency Gatorade,” was his cheeky answer, as he stood to his feet and reached out to take Gabriel’s hand.  “C’mon.”

Gabriel allowed himself to be pulled and in doing so could scent the trail that followed behind Sam.  It was a mixture of contentment from their relaxing on the couch, with a sweet hint of affection but there was most definitely the undeniable interest and beginnings of lust.  Sam was dead serious all these times he was half-joking and Gabriel wasn’t sure how to handle the situation.

There were so many goddamn things to take into account—and Brady’s offhanded bullshit was the tip of the iceberg.  Although, that was something which was currently weighing heavily on him.  He could tell Sam was all right, thanks to a day of recuperating and the ridiculous amount of hovering (Gabriel preferred to call it TLC) that had gone on today.  Sam had his strength back, he was hydrated and fed and, right about now he happened to be pulling Gabriel’s shirt off.

“Hello, there,” Gabriel teased as he found himself pressed skin to skin against Sam who was backing him up against the bed.

“Hey,” Sam returned, his fingers teasing the elastics of Gabriel’s pants before he shoved him backwards and crawled up his body.

Except, he didn’t pull them off.  Sam didn’t pull his off, for that matter, either.  Hell, he didn’t even kiss him.  Instead, he pulled something Gabriel couldn’t have seen coming.

He pitched forward and dipped down, covering the mark he’d left the day before and sucking a new hue of color into it.  Just that sly move alone felt like a bolt of electricity through Gabriel’s spine and had him gasping and reaching out for Sam’s body.  He could feel the vibrations as Sam chuckled and began spreading kisses from the mark along his jaw, slowly mouthing his way towards his lips.

“You little sneaky fucker—” Gabriel growled out, right before Sam shut him up with a kiss that was just as electric.

He was being motivated in a way he hadn’t counted on, and the pulsing energy was going right to his cock.

Sam wasn’t tearing Gabriel’s clothes off.  He wasn’t physically holding him down to have his way with him.  No—it was because Sam knew exactly how to goad him into doing it _for_ him.  His scent was intoxicating in Gabriel’s nostrils and he couldn’t remain idly by any longer.  He was reaching out, pulling Sam flush against him, but spreading his legs to make room for their bodies to fit together even more perfectly.

Gabriel met Sam’s lips, met the whole challenge the younger alpha had constructed, with vigor.  Because Sam was right—they hadn’t been together since his rut.

Which was too fucking long.

Gabriel’s hands grabbed two perfect handfuls of Sam’s rear as their hips began rutting together and Sam moaned into his mouth.  He never wanted to stop kissing him, but then there was also the whole Jesus-Christ-I-need-to-be-inside-you thing, too.

Shit.  Up until now, even when Sam was bossy he’d taken the more submissive role in their relationship, but was that because he wanted it or he was forced to because of Gabriel’s scent?  His body seemed to want it, but was there going to be a day when he woke up and questioned why he just rolled over for the other alpha?

It had been something brought up during Sam’s rut, that he _physically couldn’t_ deny Gabriel when he didn’t wear his blockers but he’d found that a turn on.  He’d loved it, and chosen to go through his rut like that.  But was Gabriel controlling him?  Sam was always disappointed when he wore his blockers because he said he loved his scent.

But what if—

“Gabe—” Sam was nipping his earlobe and rocking against his cock, “we gonna get naked anytime soon?”

“Yeah.”  His voice was hoarse because Sam’s needy scent was going to his head.  As he pulled off their boxers with speed and efficiency, Gabriel said screw it and went for it.  “Do you ever think about fucking me?”

Sam paused for a split second and pulled away to look at him.  “Are you being serious right now?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”  He wiggled his eyebrows, trying to aim for casual because Sam was a half-step away from deer in headlights-mode.  “It’s just a question.”

“I guess I never really considered it.” Sam was chewing his bottom lip as he sniffed the air, trying to get a read on just how serious Gabriel was.  “I didn’t think it’d come up or you’d want to.”

Gabriel grabbed Sam by the face, making sure he had his attention by palming his cheeks and stated, “I love you, kid.  I wanna give you anything you want.  Don’t be afraid of asking or be worried about my alpha ego, because, believe it or not, it doesn’t exist when it comes to you.”

With a grin, Sam balanced carefully from where he was still on top of him and covered one of Gabriel’s hands with his own, with a grin.  “Okay, I’m definitely gonna remember that in the future.  But tonight,” but pulled Gabriel’s hand away and kissed his palm, “I want you to make love to me.”

“I can do that.”  Gabriel caught Sam’s contagious smile and flipped them around.  “I’ll take care of you.”

Only mildly surprised to be on his back, Sam laughed and seductively spread his legs wider, with a voice to match, “You always do.”

Gabriel reached over him to the dresser drawer and grabbed the lube.  

He lingered and kissed Sam before he coated his fingers and ordered, “You tell me if it’s too much, all right?”

Sam flicked his tongue along Gabriel’s neck before teasing, “You act like it’s been a year.  It’s only been a couple weeks.”

When Gabriel pushed in a single digit, he mused, “Jesus.  A couple _weeks_?  It sucks when you say it out loud.”

“Which is why you should be going faster.”  Sam grabbed a handful of Gabriel’s hair and moaned as he felt another finger glide inside him.  “Just like that…”

Gabriel felt the resistance, and did his best to stretch Sam’s tight rim by pumping his fingers in and out and scissoring him open.  He thought it worked, but just in case it didn’t, it pulled a page out of Sam’s playbook.

At the same time he twisted in a third, Gabriel’s mouth clamped down on Sam’s neck around his bruised mark and sucked.

It had Sam mewling and arching off the bed, hands reaching for Gabriel and hips greedily taking in his fingers.

“Fuck—” Sam groaned, the lust in his scent doubling, “ _why_ does that feel so good?”

Gabriel was half a second away from saying, ‘Because you’re my mate,’ in the heat of the moment—but then remembered alphas can’t mate and all that was shot to hell.  

So he took advantage of Sam’s lustful stupor and pushed in a fourth finger, while saying, “Because we’re being bad.  And being bad _always_ feels good.”

“No—” Sam shook his head and paused to catch his breath as he waited out the burn.  “I-it’s not bad.  It feels _right_.   _We_ feel right.”

Gabriel realized that Sam was staring at him, no longer kissing him and waiting for his reaction.  It wasn’t until after Gabriel pulled out his fingers that he glanced over and saw a face marked with fierce determination.  And Gabriel agreed, so he nodded and tried to kiss away the frown.

“We _are_ right.”  He decided to correct, and everything that was tense in Sam’s body disappeared.  “Think you’re ready?”

“Hell yes.  Please, Gabe, I need this so bad.  Need you—” Sam whimpered and watched, enraptured, as Gabriel lubed up his cock.

“Remember, you promised.”  He settled between the younger alpha’s legs, asserting a ridiculous amount of self-control.

He wanted to just dive in so badly, pound him into next week, but the way Sam was watching him as well as the words he’d said?  It had melted the hard edge of ‘want’ and turned it into something softer, something that couldn’t be achieved by a rough fuck.  And as he lined up with Sam’s hole, the words ‘making love’ truly resonated with him.

Because that’s all Gabriel felt when he looked at the man under him.

Slowly, even if it was painfully slowly, Gabriel pushed in and groaned in pleasure at the tight grip around his cock.  He only hoped that the overwhelming pleasure he was feeling didn’t amount to Sam’s pain.  But he was hyper aware of Sam’s scent, as when he finally bottomed out, Gabriel buried his face in Sam’s neck.

He didn’t have to ask, because Sam’s voice beat him to it, whimpering, “Missed this—fuck—” while he rolled his hips.

Gabriel raised his upper body and pushed Sam’s hips into the bed, ordering him, “I told you, I’m going to take care of you.  You just lay back and enjoy the ride, Sammy.”

There was a grin on a face when he confirmed, “Then c’mon.  Feels perfect, you don’t have to wait.”

“Oh yeah?”  Gabriel tilted his head to the side, watching Sam as he pulled out and snapped his hips back in.

Gabriel set a pace that had Sam’s breath racing and his toes curling.  He couldn’t respond in words anymore, he was too busy babbling out noises and trying to drag Gabriel to his mouth.  However, the alpha wasn’t going to allow himself to get pulled in (he’d never want to leave again) until he found Sam’s prostate.

He needed Sam to cum, he wanted him to feel good, to get off before he did.  Gabriel wasn’t joking when he said he wanted to take care of him, that he’d make love to him.  Sam had been through so much, and he wanted to give him anything he wanted tonight.  And while Gabriel had been hesitant about sex, at first, Sam had shattered his resolve just as he was shattering Sam’s.

When he cried out, Gabriel knew he’d won.

Then he knew he was allowed to worship Sam’s body with his mouth again.

He kept fucking into him at the same angle—Sam’s arms hauled him up and glued their mouths together—and kicked everything up a notch.

Gabriel was exploiting it, feeling Sam come apart in his arms as the kisses became sloppy and he moaned, “God, I love you,” into Gabriel’s ear.

He’d never get tired of hearing Sam say that.

And he’d never get tired of watching Sam’s expression, consumed by pure ecstasy as he shot cum over both their bodies.

He’d timed it perfectly, right before his knot was inside Sam and pulled out to jerk himself off.  While Sam’s body may have been prepped enough to take his cock, he wasn’t going to risk hurting him with his knot.  There was no way in Hell he was going to hurt him—

“Gabe—” Sam looked confused as he was catching his breath and openly complained, “I wanted you to cum inside me.”

He quirked an eyebrow, just as an idea came to him and grinned, “I can still do that,” knowing he was right on the brink.

Gabriel hadn’t thought it possible, but Sam’s confusion doubled yet he lost sight as he flipped him around so he was ass up in the air.  He spread Sam’s cheeks wide and lined up the slit of his cock with Sam’s used hole right before his knot swelled.

He kept jerking his fist, and when he felt his orgasm rip through his body, he could hear Sam hiss out, “holy shit,” as Gabriel’s cum rushed past his rim and inside him.  Sam was shuddering and cumming again from the feeling and how strangely sexy it was that he was still being filled, yet not knotted.

Gabriel’s breathing was labored as he fell back on his haunches and couldn’t help but run his fingertips over the wetness of Sam’s hole.  He had half a mind to finger him again, feel the load he’d blown inside him but he was supposed to be caring for the alpha, not driving him into the ground.

“I-I don’t know why…” Sam huffed as he collapsed onto his side, “that was really hot.”

“Oh yeah?”  Gabriel smirked and crawled up his torso, commenting, “You’re really hot.”

With a laugh and a shake of his head, Sam commented, “I hadn’t planned on ruining the sheets…”

“I’m gonna get a bath going for you.  Then I’ll take care of the sheets.”  Gabriel spread kisses from his mouth to his forehead, down his neck and his collarbone.  “Sit tight.”

Before he could leave, Sam reached out and grabbed his wrist to tug him back.  “Why are you so perfect?”

With a heavy eye rolls, Gabriel heaved a heavy sigh and admitted, “Do you want a list of all the reasons I’m not?”

“Fuck everything that happened before.  Let’s start with a clean slate.”  He said in a way where Gabe knew he couldn’t be convinced otherwise, but this worked in his favor so he wasn’t mad.

“I’d like that.”  He knew his scent was grateful so he could keep his voice playful.  “Thanks, kid.”

Sam rolled his eyes but smiled at him in that warm way when he released him.

God knows Gabriel could use a clean slate.  He rejoiced on the way to fill up the bath.  He could do this right, he knew this time around he wouldn’t screw up.  He knew second chances were next to impossible to find, and he refused to fuck this one up.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

It was usually Gabriel who woke Sam up in the morning, but not today.

Today, Sam convinced Gabriel to spend the night in his box of an apartment, and double bed mind you, for one simple reason.

Today was his first day of law school.

Gabriel woke up to see Sam already dressed and walking around the apartment.  Well,  _ pacing  _ was more like it.  He kept an eye on him as he went through his closet, when what he was wearing was perfect.  Gabriel never understood why students cared about what they looked like on the first day, because they ended up in sweats by the time midterms came around anyway.  But it looked like Sam resembled Gabe’s brother, in the way of giving a shit about his appearance.

Well, back when Cas was focused and driven when it came to academics.  These days Cas’ wardrobe consisted of those God-awful ripped jeans, leather jackets and anything that made him look bad-boy chic.  If that was a thing.

Sam was adorable, and Gabriel couldn’t stay quiet anymore.

“Your first class isn’t for another two hours, my little lawyer.”

Sam quipped around with alarm etched into his features at being caught.  Then he visibly deflated and explained, “I couldn’t sleep.  I keep thinking there’s something I’m forgetting, you know?”  He came back towards the bed and sat on the edge.  “I tried meeting with Brady so we could go over all the things we needed for the first day of class, but I guess his family was in town.  But you know the weird thing?  He finished all the work.  Which was  _ awesome  _ because you and me could be together that last week, but really...unlike him.”

“Maybe he’s turning over a new leaf after he gave you shit and ditched out on you?”  Gabriel faked a guess and shimmied his way until his head was pillowed on Sam’s lap, looking up at him.  “And, damn, was  _ that  _ a nice week.”

“Yeah,” Sam laughed lightly.  “It really was.  I just hope I have everything, I honestly—”

“Are you always this freaked out about first days?  How many have you had?  Four years of ‘em?  Eight, with semesters?”

“Twelve,” he corrected ruefully, “I needed to take some spring and summer classes to make up for my, uh, semester off, so I could keep up with the program and keep up my scholarships.”

“See, you’ve got this on lock.  Besides, all first days are is the prof throwing you a syllabus and making intimidation bullshit about the semester to come.  You get out early, dawdle until your next class and call or text me because I don’t go into work until five.  Voila, it’s that easy!”  Gabriel flicked him in the shoulder, wishing his blockers had faded a little more from the day before because he knew his scent calmed Sam.

However, they’d also instituted the rule that Gabriel’s was the no-blocker-zone, not Sam’s apartment.  For both their safety.  Especially because Gabriel was hoping Sam would make new study-buddies and if they ended up back at Sam’s apartment, he didn’t want his scent scaring them away.

Gabriel was curious how Sam and Brady’s first meeting would go since he cornered the man.  But he made his instructions very clear. Sam would have no knowledge that they ever met (or rather, Gabriel made threats on his life) and they’d keep their friendship up with no red flags raised.  Hopefully, the jackass alpha was a decent actor.

“I’ll cross my fingers it’s that easy.”  Sam smiled down at him and tried to shake the stress off himself.  “I know I don’t have anything to be worried about.  It’s just… I really don’t want to fuck anything up.  I already did that once and—”

“Totally different situations.”  Gabriel scooted up to his knees and grabbed Sam’s face.  “That’s never gonna happen again.  You’re smart, you’ve made it this far, through all the Gen-Ed crap, and now you’re doing what you wanna be doing for the rest of your life.  Even if it’s hard work, this should be the fun part.”

“I never thought about it like that,” he admitted, voice a little distorted from where Gabriel had his face squished, so the other alpha eased up even though it was adorable.  “You’re right.  Like always.”  He sighed as Gabriel released his grip and asked, “Did I wake you up?  Do you want coffee?”

“Yeah, but I’m an early riser.  You know that.”  He hopped out of bed and pulled on his discarded clothes from the previous night.  “I can make us some coffee while you chill the fuck out.  Deal?”

Sam followed him into the kitchen where all his books and papers were strewn about, yet organized in a very specific way.  “I’ll…try.”

“You got anything in here for me to make you some breakfast?” Gabriel asked as he walked into the kitchen like he owned the place, peering inside the fridge and going through cabinets.

“Probably not.”  Sam sat down and leaned on his elbow.  “But that has to do with the fact that I usually stay with a certain boyfriend who spoils me and I rarely eat here.”

“Oh yeah?”  Gabriel winked at him, “That’s a nice boyfriend ya got,” before slamming the door and complaining, “Yep.   _ Nothing  _ in here.  You might as well move in with me, even though I’m a little further from campus.  I’m gonna take you out to breakfast, ‘cause I’m not having you go through your first day on an empty stomach.”

Gabriel was grateful there was coffee to be made, and began work on that.  When Sam was suspiciously quiet, he looked over his shoulder to see the alpha staring at him.

“What?  There’s that diner close by and—”

“You want me to move in with you?”  Sam blurted all at once.

Gabriel had said it in passing, so casually in fact, he hadn’t even thought Sam would dwell on it.  He glanced to see the coffeemaker doing its job and walked over to the table where Sam was sitting.

“I mean, you’re there all the time anyway.”  He aimed for nonchalance as he shrugged his shoulders and smirked, “Unless you’re attached to this little cubby.”  Then, noticing how intently Sam was watching him, quickly added, “Shouldn’t have said that while you’re first-day-of-school freaking.  Too much too soon, I get it, sorry—”

“It’s only a few stops further on the bus,” Sam said softly.  “Maybe once I get into the swing of things this semester…”

“Yeah?”  Gabriel knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn’t give a fuck.  “Hell, my lease is up in just over four months.  I’ve been doing some saving and I was even looking at some houses.   _We_ could look, if you wanted.  If you plan on sticking around, that is.”

“Shut up, you know I do.”  He was nodding, slow at first, but then it gained speed the more he thought about it, “I could help out, I’m sure that—”

“Hey.  I’m getting a house no matter what.  You don’t need to worry about ‘helping out’ with anything, you stick to your studies and that’s it, yeah?”  Gabriel pointed a finger in his direction very intently.

“Congrats,” Sam was wearing a dopey grin, “you’ve officially gotten rid of my first-day jitters.”

“Least I’m good for something.”  He wiggled his eyebrows and stood up, hearing the coffee dripping and heading to the fridge to grab the half and half.

Which he immediately noted was well past the expiration date.

“Jesus.  You need someone to take care of you or else you’re gonna give yourself food poisoning and die.”  Gabriel dumped the curdled dairy down the sink and then threw the carton into the trash.  “You’re moving in with me for your  _ own  _ protection.  It’s decided.”  Then, he added, “And we’re drinking our coffee black today, I guess.  Diner’s a must, so get your shit together.”

“Yes, Mom.”

\-------------

Sam was on cloud nine as he went through his morning classes, turning in the necessary summer work and finding Brady to sit next to in the giant lecture halls.  His friend was reserved and raising an eyebrow at his scent, but they weren’t allotted the time to really chat.  They planned lunch out for that.

Although during his undergrad, Gabriel’s typical ‘syllabus and run’ may have been true, now that these were all classes for law school they dove right into the work they were assigned over their break.  It was refreshing to be back into a schedule and surrounded by his classmates he hadn’t seen since they passed the LSAT, and he easily found out there was nothing to be nervous about.

When lunch time finally came, he and Brady grabbed something to eat in the cafeteria and Brady finally asked the question.

“Why are you so goddamn happy?”  His tone was teasing but also laced in confusion, “We’re back with our nose to the grindstone.  Is school giving you a boner?”

“Nah,” Sam was spreading dressing on his salad as he casually said, “Gabriel asked me to move in with him.”

There was a small span of silence where Sam had to look up to see Brady studying him.

“Isn’t it a little soon for all that?”  Brady asked in a reserved tone.

“Are you asking because you really think that, or because of your alpha bullshit?”  Sam couldn’t help but fly to the defensive.

“No, chill out.  It’s not about the ‘alpha bullshit,’ Sam.”  He took a bite of his burger which bought him some time before asking, “You’ve only been together for the summer, right?”

“Since May, yeah.  It’s September, now; I don‘t think it‘s too soon.  At least it doesn’t feel like it’s too soon, it feels right.  And I practically live at his place already, it would make more sense.”  Sam shrugged, “My brother works his ass off and pays for my rent so I can focus on my studies.  Hell, even giving him a break would be awesome, you know?”

“He’s  _ not  _ gonna make you pay rent?”  Brady raised an eyebrow, “I mean, that’s great.  Don’t get me wrong, it just seems too good to be true.”

“It’s not.  Gabriel, he…” Sam sighed heavily and took a sip of his drink.  “He likes to take care of me.  He’d never let me pay rent; hell, he won’t even let me out of the house without breakfast.  He’s a genuine, awesome boyfriend.  It’s not too good to be true, because I know him and this is just the way he is.  He’s—”

“Being a grown-up alpha taking care of who he looks at as his mate,” Brady filled in the blanks.  “This isn’t to be offensive, Sam, really.  I’m really curious because I’ve never had a friend involved in…this type of relationship.  Doesn’t it make your inner alpha feel weird?  Being taken care of?  Don’t you ever wish it was the other way around?  Or does it not matter, because he’s, uh, you know.”

Sam paused because the question caught him off guard.  He’d never really thought about it like that.  Mostly, because Dean took care of him when he was a kid  _ and  _ when he was struggling with his addiction.  It didn’t bother him to be ‘taken care of,’ as Brady had put.  Was his friend questioning his designation?  His masculinity?  Suddenly, this whole situation really rubbed him the wrong way.

“I’m not a knot-head, so no.”  His voice was firm and he narrowed his eyes at Brady.

Who had a strange reaction.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, I was just wondering, I’m sorry, Sam,” he immediately blurted out, and his scent was laced with anxiety.

Why was he so afraid?

Brady  _ never  _ reacted like this, he was usually an unremorseful dick.

“Uh, it’s all right.”  Sam cocked his head to the side, confused by the way Brady had handled that.  “I mean, I guess that’s a legitimate question.  He’s never treated me as anything less than an alpha, so it’s never mattered.  All the things he does for me, he does for himself.  Just as much.  I know it makes him happy so I’ve accepted it and it doesn’t bother me.”

“I gotcha.”  His friend seemed to have calmed down, and was eating with a renewed intensity before he finished with, “Well, good for you.  You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks…” He said it hesitantly, because something was off.

Maybe it was something that happened to Brady that last week he didn’t see him.  Either way, he’d write it off as his friend having a bad day or, hell, maybe he’d partied too hard before school began and he was feeling off as a result.

It didn’t matter, because nothing could bring him down right now.

Even if that interaction was bizarre.

\---------------

Was it too early?  Now Sam was second-guessing himself.  Per  _ usual _ , Brady always managed to raise little doubts in his brain.  Not doubts.  He wasn’t doubting himself and Gabriel, not even for a second.  More like…concerns.

So he did what he usually did when he felt these niggling feelings while he was waiting for his last class to begin.

He shot his brother a text.

_ Sam 4:11PM  
_ _ Is it too early to move in together? _

__ Dean 4:15PM  
_ hello to u 2  
_ __ who popped the question??

_ Sam 4:16PM  
_ _ Does that matter? _

_ Dean 4:18PM  
_ _ yep _

_ Sam 4:19PM  
_ _ It was his idea.  I’m over there all the time anyway and that way you wouldn’t have to pay for my rent anymore.  I don’t feel like it’s too soon, like I said it feels like we’re already living together it’d just make it official. _

_ Dean 4:21PM  
_ _ then whats the problem?? _

_ Sam 4:22PM  
_ _ Really?  You don’t think it’s too soon?  Brady thought it was. _

__ Dean 4:24PM  
__ i dont give a flying fuck about brady if u 2 r happy which I know u r do it  
_ hell uve had a key 4 forever  
_ __ brady sounds like a huge downer and bad news to me

_ Sam 4:26PM  
_ _ Both of you think Brady is.  I’m beginning to think he was acting really weird today, I haven’t even heard from him in like a week _

__ Dean 4:27PM  
__ brady sucks  
__ Hey im all for u moving in w ur alpha if it feels right i trust u and he seems legit  
_ don’t let anyone get in ur head sammy ur doing good  
_ __ go with ur gut

_ Sam 4:29PM  
_ _ Class is starting but thanks Dean, I needed that.  We’ll talk soon _

_ Dean 4:30PM  
_ _ have fun don’t be a stranger and give me a call once in awhile _

Noticing the professor was approaching the podium, Sam fired out one more text to Gabriel knowing he was going into work at five, so he should probably get a hold of him now.

_ Sam 4:30PM  
_ _ I know you’ve got a closing shift but can I still come over tonight? _

Sam turned off his phone in the lecture hall as the professor began speaking and giving the introduction to the class.  That conversation wasn’t exactly what he’d been expecting either.  A lot of things were surprising him today.  Sam thought Dean was going to demand a meeting before he let his little brother move in with a complete stranger, but for some reason he was a-okay with all this?

Chalk Sam up as pleasantly surprised.

He was excited all over again and it felt justified.  It felt  _ real _ .  Dean’s approval was one thing he didn’t know he needed—but now that he had it, there was nothing standing in his way.

Even though it had been a long day, Sam was smiling the entire lecture.

\------------------

Of course, Gabriel agreed.

The best part was that Sam didn’t have early classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, just afternoon ones, so he could wait up for him.

While he had a lot of time to kill, Sam took it to go over his syllabi and organize everything together in a binder and chat with his brother on the phone for a little while.  Sam wasn’t surprised that when he arrived at the apartment, Gabriel had left a note saying he’d made dinner and leftovers were in the fridge.

Yeah, Sam could definitely get used to this.

He justified it wasn’t a blow to his alpha ego, because if he were in a relationship with an omega they’d be just as likely to cook for him.  So what was the big deal?

Sure, Gabriel may be financially supporting him (if he was understanding the situation correctly) but Dean had been doing the same thing.  If it wasn’t Gabriel, it would have been his brother.  Who was an omega, as well.

Nothing about this made him any less of an alpha, so why did Brady think it did?

He was still being a bigot, Sam ended up concluding all over again.  Which he should have remembered in the first place, rather than getting annoyed about it.

Sam was sprawled out on the couch, glancing down at his phone for the time, every now and then, and finally heard a rattle at the door just shy of 3:30 a.m.

There was a smirk on Sam’s face, because he could tell Gabriel was trying to be quiet.  What was even more interesting was the fact that Gabriel was  _ so fucking quiet _ —he didn’t even realize he was  _ right  _ fucking  _ there  _ until he was halfway through the living room.  Sam jumped at Gabriel’s near ninja-like stealth and a strange yelp came from his voice box.

“ _ Jesus _ !  You scared me!”  Sam gasped as Gabriel jumped back and began to cackle.

“What are you still doing up?  And did you revert back into infancy while I was gone?  Do I need to rock the baby?”  He heckled him and shimmied his way over to the couch.

“Fuck you!”  Sam tried to swat Gabriel away as he reached to grab him bridal-style, “Last time I wait up for you, you—”

“Aww, my sweet little alpha wanted to see me,” Gabriel began nuzzling into his neck and actually managed to get his arm underneath Sam’s legs.  “You’re so damn cute.”

“I hate you.”  His bitchface and tone were both deadly, but it rolled right off Gabriel’s back.  “So much.”

Gabriel ignored it all in exchange for pressing kisses to Sam’s neck and cheek, since he was trying to wriggle away from him.  “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“You stink.  Go take a shower,” Sam snipped back, only to catch a mischievous glint in Gabriel’s eyes and instantly regretted his choice.

Because Gabriel had him right where he wanted him.

He easily scooped up the younger alpha and carried him, kicking and struggling, towards the bathroom, while saying, “Then you get to join me.”

“Put me down!” Sam protested, flustered and blushing, while they rounded the corner to the bathroom and Gabriel finally did what he demanded in order to turn on the lights.  “I can’t even—”

“Oh hush, white girl.”  Gabriel rolled his eyes fondly as he turned on the water to heat it up while he began taking his clothes off.  “So, how was your day.”

“Fine.  Good, actually.”  He was still glaring, but it was hard to do when his boyfriend was happily stripping in front of him.  He gruffly asked, “Yours?”

“Eh, it was a Monday.  And it’s back to school so the crowd’s starting to die down.  This weekend will be good money, but tonight was lame.  Spent more time flicking wads of paper at Zeke’s head than making drinks,” Gabriel admitted, as he tested the water temperature.

“I’m sure he loved that.”

“He loves me, so it doesn’t matter.  Although, he was fussy, which never happens and I noticed he’s requested time off coming up so I think his rut’s due sometime soon.  Which meant the game got old fast.”  Gabriel actually belly-laughed when he relayed, “I thought he was going to dump me upside down in one of the industrial-sized trash cans, actually.”

“You know exactly how to make and keep friends, don’t you?”  Sam grinned at the image, “ _ That _ , I’d like to see.”

“I bet,” Gabriel winked before he disappeared into the shower.  “He asks about you.  Only time he’s really met you was...that-time-we’re-forgetting.  You should come in sometime and actually hang out.  He’s a cool dude.”

“Should I be jealous?” Sam asked, as he pulled his shirt off and began the undressing process himself.  “You’re saying he loves you, you know his cycle, he’s a tall, handsome alpha, which may be your type.”

“You should be _very_ jealous.”  He poked his head out from behind the curtain and asked, “Why isn’t my boyfriend in here yet?  Come claim your man!”

Even though it was a game, a small growl was in the back of Sam’s throat that he hadn’t expected and it actually shocked him.  What the hell?  Where had  _ that  _ come from?

Gabriel’s eyes widened and jaw fell open, before he schooled his features and very calmly said, “That’s one of the sexiest things I’ve witnessed in my life.”

“I-I didn’t mean—”

“I don’t care, get your ass in here!” Gabriel ordered and snapped his fingers.

Sam gulped and followed him in, flushed in embarrassment.

As soon as he was in, Gabriel had shoved him against the wall and was hauling him into a kiss.  While he was completely taken aback, it wasn’t in a bad way and he surged forward to meet it with all the power in his body.  He had no idea Sam getting unintentionally jealous would be such a turn-on, but Gabriel was rock hard and rutting against his thigh in record time.

“Fuck—” Sam swore as his feet weren’t planted securely under him and he grabbed Gabriel’s hips for support before he slipped.

That’s when the alpha took a deep breath, and said to Sam, “Shit.  Not the best location for this.  Okay, give me a second to calm down,” and grabbed the shampoo.

With a nod, Sam cleared his throat and began, “Before you were a jerk, there was a reason I stayed up.”

“And it wasn’t to make me super horny?” Gabriel quipped teasingly as he rinsed his hair.

“That was just a bonus,” Sam easily bantered back, while soaping up a washcloth.  “I wanted to officially say it.”

“Say what?”  He raised an eyebrow and noticed the cloth in Sam’s hands.

Gabriel took it and pulled Sam in close, needing just a bit of intimacy and washing Sam happened to be something they both enjoyed.

“Yes.  I want to move in with you.  I want to live with you.  Whether it’s this apartment or a house, I wanna take that next step.”  He made sure to look Gabriel directly in the eyes while he said it, and slowly but surely the man’s sassy smirk turned into something warmer and loving.

“Perfect.”  The word fell from his lips, because that’s exactly what it was.

“My brother was actually surprisingly cool when I told him, too,” Sam admitted, and took the cloth away to rinse it, soap it, and return the favor.  “He’s a tough audience.  But something I said must have gotten through to him that this…” he paused for a second, which made Gabriel tilt his head.

“This is what?”

“This could be the real deal.”  Sam swallowed hard around the words, hoping they weren’t going to scare Gabriel off.

Because even if it had been Gabriel to ask Sam to move in, Sam was taking it as a show of moving their relationship to another level.  Which was why he stayed up tonight.  To tell Gabriel he was ready for that.

Gabriel didn’t answer him with words, he pulled Sam down to kiss him with intention.

Pure, unadulterated willingness.

He couldn’t stop smiling either, which made it for a quirky and uncoordinated kiss, but Sam wouldn’t have it any other way.

Once they were both rinsed off and heading towards bed, Sam realized he already had half his wardrobe here.  He already left his books here.  Hell, he was half moved in, as it was.  He chuckled to himself and grabbed his phone to set his alarm.

As he was looking at the time, something random and completely unaddressed as of yet, slithered into his brain and now he was curious.

“Gabe?” Sam asked, while he was plugging his phone into the charger by the nightstand.

“Yes, you may set your alarm early for morning sex,” was his cheeky response while he pulled on his boxers and crawled into bed.

“Heh,” Sam shook his head as he felt Gabriel’s arms wrap around his waist and tug him backwards.

He set his phone on the table and let himself be pulled into the normal little spoon position.  Gabriel kissed his back tenderly and grazed his teeth against his skin as a tease.  Since the last time they’d marked each other, they’d agreed to hold off while Sam was in school to avoid gossip and questions as to whether or not Sam had found himself a mate.  Even though neither one of them had admitted it, the knowledge that two alphas couldn’t mate hurt—and when the rest of the world assumed that’s where they were headed, it was like salt in the wound.

Sam preened against Gabriel’s touch, lost for a second before he remembered his question.

“When’s your next rut?”

Gabriel paused his barrage of small kisses before admitting, “Dunno.”

It was Sam’s turn to pause.

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’d get it whenever I go off the suppressants.”

“Wait, why are you on suppressants to begin with?”  Sam was so confused because, sure, that was a natural omega thing to do but it was unheard of for an alpha.  Not like Gabriel didn’t already do a lot of things that were unheard of, but what reason could he have for being on suppressants?

What Sam didn’t know was that Gabriel had been taking them for years—ever since they put a price on his head.  He couldn’t risk being found and arrested because he was caught with his pants down in the literal sense.  No, he had to be on guard all the time as a fugitive, and risking a rut was too dangerous.  It was too much of a gamble to not be one-hundred-percent in control of his actions at all times, and a rut was the complete opposite.

Or rather, it  _ had  _ been too much.

Gabriel was beginning to see that maybe he could get back to a normal life.  Hell, seeing Sam’s reaction alone was enough to make him wonder what the bar’s reaction would be if he never asked for time off for his cycle.  Shit, this was actually a blessing in disguise—a wake up call.  Because now he was getting the normal life he’d been wanting for so long, and he was reminded because of this simple question Sam had asked.

He’d only continued to take the suppressants out of habit.

So now…he had to bullshit.

“For a while I took ‘em because the ruts were too much to deal with.  True alpha means equally intense ruts.  And if I didn’t have someone to help me out during, well…it’d be more trouble than it’s worth.”  Gabriel ran his fingers idly down Sam’s side.  “Plus, picking up everyone else’s shifts when they have their heat or ruts are a great way to make money and—”

“You have me,” Sam word vomited.  “You’re supposed to have at least one cycle a year or else it’s going to mess with your system, and you helped me through mine so of course I’ll return the favor.”

“Yeah?”  Gabriel’s breath was hot against Sam’s neck while his hand tightened in grip.

Although a shiver went through his spine, he was proud his voice didn’t waver when he responded, “Of course.  I’d just have to be a buzzkill and make sure we’d plan based around my schedule.”

“I figured as much.”

The way Gabriel’s hand was locked onto Sam’s hip was doing things to him, and he was worried if they didn’t go to bed soon he was going to tackle the other alpha and kiss him stupid.  It was ridiculous just how attracted he was to Gabriel.  All these small nuances about power and control, but undertones of seductions and romance.

“We’ll talk about it more soon, okay?”  Sam knew this time his voice was quaking a bit.  “Love you, Gabe.”

Gabriel lifted his body enough to lean over Sam and capture his mouth in an almost filthy kiss.  

He hummed into it before pulling away and whispering, “Love you, too, Sammy.”

This time, Sam visibly shuddered as he grumbled, “Not fair.”

He didn’t need to look back to know Gabriel was wearing a shit-eating grin because he could scent it on him, too - but just _barely_ , because of those stupid full-strength blockers.  Unfortunately, that was one of the things that was encompassed in the ’I love you’s’ so there was nothing Sam could do.

But morning sex was looking more and more likely…

\-----------

When Gabriel woke up, it wasn’t to his internal alarm going off.  It was to the heat of Sam’s body moving against him, and his mouth sucking marks into his skin below the collar.  Apparently, _someone_ had woken up on the right side of the bed today and Gabriel was totally alright with this.

He didn’t even have to open his eyes to know that his dick was at full-mast, and he could feel Sam’s erection against his thigh as the young alpha nipped his way down Gabriel’s body.  He moaned as Sam’s mouth closed around his nipple, sucking it into hardness and he knew right then he wasn’t playing any games.

“Holy shit,” Gabriel’s voice was hoarse from sleep.  “What’s gotten into you?”

Sam pulled away from his chest and looked up to meet Gabriel’s eyes.  “I had a really good dream.”  Then, as he teased his fingers down the man’s torso he asked in a sinfully sexy way, “Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”  His eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

A grin tugged across his face and he took Gabriel’s cock into his hand when he said, “That I could fuck you.”

The words, as well as the way Sam loosely began fisting him, forced a moan from Gabriel’s chest and he chuckled, while nodding at the same time.  “No take backs, right?”

Sam crawled back up Gabriel’s body, looking completely mischievous before he took his breath away with a fierce kiss.  He surged upward and licked into Sam’s mouth, hearing the dresser drawer open and knowing he was grabbing the lube.

When Sam pulled away, Gabriel commented, “Must have been one hell of a dream.”

“Oh, it was.”  Sam coated his fingers before sucking lightly against his boyfriend’s neck—just light enough to leave no mark.  But then where was a curiosity in his voice when he whispered into Gabriel’s ear, “Have you ever done this before?”

“Nope.”  Gabriel spread his legs with no shame in his voice.  “Doesn’t mean I’m not ready and willing.”

Sam took a second to pull away and look him in the eyes.  “Really?  You’d  _ really  _ let me—?”

“I told you.”  He grabbed the slightly baffled alpha with both hands.  “If you want it, I want it.  And  _ you  _ seem to enjoy it, so why not get in on the fun?  Now, you gonna get to work, or what?”  He nodded his head to Sam’s already lube-covered fingers and winked.

Sam’s scent of lust kicked up a notch as he grinned and kissed Gabriel, reaching down and brushing a finger over the alpha’s opening.  He teased him a bit before he pushed the first finger in, lips glued to Gabriel’s.  He hadn’t been lying about his dream and the moment he woke up it was all he could think about.  And he hoped Gabriel had been serious about switching up their roles, because what had started out as a wet dream turned into a waking desire he’d dared and hoped to make a reality.

Gabriel didn’t seem uncomfortable about the second finger either, his smell was just as alive with arousal from where it was breaking through the blockers as Sam’s, as though it was contagious.  Knowing that Gabriel was eagerly giving Sam his first time like it was no big deal meant something, even though he was playing it off with the same confidence he always had.

Sam wanted to make it good for him.

Although he was ridiculously tight, and adding a third finger was much more difficult than the first two, it didn’t seem to bother Gabriel in the least.  His breath was racing, but so was Sam’s from their refusal to stop kissing.  Gabe’s scent didn’t change, but it was also half-way hidden.

So Sam felt the need to ask aloud, “Still good?” and nibble on his ear lobe.

“Yeah,” Gabriel didn’t miss a beat and even teased him.  “C’mon, you can do better than that.”

“Oh yeah?”  Sam raised a challenging eyebrow and pulled away from Gabriel’s lips immediately.

“No, not like that—”

His whine was cut off mid-sentence when Sam’s lips wrapped around his cock and he pushed  a fourth finger inside him.

Gabriel quickly changed his tune to, “A-All right, you win,” while thrusting into his mouth and onto his fingers.  “So when are you gonna fuck me, Sammy?”

Sam licked him from base to tip, plunging his fingers in and out of Gabriel’s virgin-tight hole, before responding, “When I know you’re ready and you’re not being a haughty jerk.  It’s unfair, I can’t scent you right.  So I’ll take my time, like you did with me.”

“ _ You’re _ unfair.”  Gabriel grabbed a handful of Sam’s hair with one hand and cuffed him under the chin with the other to bring them face to face.  “Never thought I’d say it, but I want it.  Fuck, you’ve got me so horny right now, I need your cock.”

A grin played across Sam’s face when he saw how dilated and needy Gabriel’s eyes were, but he had to be sure.  “Promise me you’ll tell me if it’s too much?”

“Yeah, yeah.  Fine.”  Gabriel gasped as Sam’s fingers brushed something electric inside him.  “Fuck!”

Sam was captivated as he watched Gabriel come apart under him.  He’d never held control over the alpha like this, and he had to admit it was addicting.  His mouth was dry and he continued to fuck him with his fingers and nail his prostate, until Gabriel physically shoved him away, breathless and frustrated.

“I’m not the begging kind, kid, and you know that,” he hissed out and took the liberty of grabbing the lube, pouring it into his palm and coating Sam’s cock for him.

He was desperate, Sam could see it and it even leaked through in his scent.  Hell, he was desperate himself.  The second Gabriel touched him it was like a wave of pleasure rushed through him and he’d completely forgotten the whole point of this, because Gabriel was so goddamn distracting.  So ridiculously hot and the fact that he was submitting made Sam’s inner alpha frenzied.

Which happened to be the thing that overwhelmed him.

He pushed Gabriel’s legs apart even further, lined up and then watched Gabriel with rapt attention before he even began to push in.  If he didn’t have all the tell of scent on his side, he hoped he could tell based on Gabriel’s features.  Maybe that was a lie.

Maybe, as he slowly pushed inside, he wanted to watch Gabriel’s eyes widen and jaw drop as he was stretched open on Sam’s cock.  As he bottomed out, he moaned because this was nothing like his dream—it was so much  _ better _ .  The tight heat wrapped around his dick and the way Gabriel grabbed him and bit down on his shoulder, Sam was completely stunned.  And he hadn’t even started to move yet.

He head-butted Gabriel from where he was latched to his shoulder and said, his own voice completely wrecked with lust, “Oh God, Gabriel—you feel amazing.”

With a swivel of his hips, Gabriel countered, “Not gonna lie, you don’t feel t-too bad yourself.”  He experimentally grinded harder against Sam, drawing a moan from the younger alpha, and told him, “Here’s the part where you fuck me.”

Sam kissed the haughty smirk off Gabriel’s face as he pulled out and snapped his hips forward.  It punched the air from Gabriel’s lungs, but his hands moved from Sam’s back to his rear, encouraging him to pick up the pace.  That was something Sam had no problem doing.

It was an adrenaline rush and he was completely lost in the sensation as he pounded into Gabriel’s body—the alpha raising his hips to meet every thrust.  The room was filled with moans and whimpers that better fit a night of seduction—not the barely risen sun.  It was intense, and Gabriel didn’t hesitate in letting Sam know it when he found his prostate again.  In fact, it came in the form of a sharp smack on the ass, combined with a shouted, “Yes!”

Apparently, Gabriel liked it rough, and Sam was happy to deliver.

He pinned Gabriel down with the weight of his body and pounded into him with almost violent force.  But Gabriel was responding to it in the most beautiful way, urging and taunting Sam along.  He couldn’t be happier as he kept a close eye on him, because watching Gabriel cum on his cock was breath-taking.

The way he arched his back and wrapped his legs around Sam, reaching out to kiss him.  Even though it was rough, and Sam was pretty sure at least one of their lips was bleeding, it was perfect.  And it couldn’t have happened at a better time, too.

Sam had been nervous, so fucking nervous, that he wouldn’t be able to make Gabriel cum quick enough.  And, just as Gabriel had done with him, he refused to knot him his first time.  So now he was regretfully pulling out of the perfect heat and wrapping his own hand around his swelling knot.

Godammit, he was lucky.  It took no time at all for him to knot his fist and paint Gabriel with his cum.  It was almost embarrassing how fast he came.

Gabriel was catching his breath and watching him with interest as he dragged his fingertips through the mess on his skin.  He licked his fingers, and Sam shivered at the image, collapsing next to him on the bed.

He reached out and grabbed Gabriel’s face with both hands, hauling him in and tasting himself on the alpha’s tongue.  Sam pulled away because it was urgent he gushed out, “I love you,” before the kisses turned tender.

Sam could feel Gabriel smile against his lips and one of his hands raised to cover Sam’s.  When they finally pulled away and relaxed against the pillow, observing each other, Gabriel whispered, “Hey, I love you, too.”  It was followed by a teasing, “So, how did it compare to your dream?”

“It  _ didn’t _ .”  Sam shook his head with what he knew was a dopey grin.  “That was…amazing.  Thank you.”

With a snort, Gabriel returned, “You don’t need to thank me, you—”

“Not about the sex, Gabe,” Sam interrupted him.  “Well, not entirely.  It’s not just about letting me.  It’s about trusting me, wanting to make me happy, all of it.  Don’t blow it off, because it matters to me.  It matters a whole hell of a lot.”  He reached out his arm to run his hand along the alpha’s side.  “Did you feel like that the first time I…?”

There was a small pause and the words, or rather the concept, and why Sam was so serious about this _finally_ sunk in.

“Yeah, I did.”  Gabriel covered Sam’s arm with his own.  “I get it now.  And…you’re welcome.”

The words felt strange as he said them, but it finally made sense.  Why it was such a big deal to Sam, at least.  Because it had been a big deal to Gabriel.

Gabriel had the tendency to play things off because he didn’t want to be taken too seriously, when Sam had so much heart.  This wasn’t something he could blow off and he knew that now.  He also knew he was happy because of how happy Sam was—because even though the younger alpha still couldn’t quite scent Gabriel, Sam was an open book.

And he could read love, contentment and sincerity, loud and clear.  That’s exactly how Gabriel liked him.

“How much time we got before you take off?”  Gabriel mused, fingertips dancing over the length of Sam’s arm.

“Not until after one, I think,” he responded while he glanced at the bedside clock.

“Good.  We’re gonna relax, take a nice, long shower then I’m gonna make waffles.  After that, I think we should lounge and make out until you leave me for your brainy academia.  Deal?”

Sam’s smile was nothing short of brilliant.  “Deal.”


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Slowly but surely, Sam began moving his things into Gabriel’s apartment.  While Sam’s lease was a month-by-month arrangement, Gabriel’s was up in early January.  October had passed, and the majority of his things were already intermingled with Gabriel’s and the only reason Sam used his apartment was in between classes and to work on projects he needed absolute silence and no distractions for.

Gabriel was one giant walking, talking distraction.

And Sam loved him for it, but at the beginning of the semester he was still trying to get a feel for how law school was going to go and needed a bit of privacy during the day time once in awhile.  He still ended up at Gabriel’s every night.  And soon, it would be Gabriel and his.

Which Sam was excited for.

His apartment was fully furnished, so his belongings amounted to anything that could be carried in boxes.  There was actually only two or three loads left and Sam was waiting for a time Gabriel could come over in his car and scoop up the last few batches.

That was one of the downfalls of being a poor student and not having a car.

However, the public transportation was good enough in the area, and Gabriel’s apartment was only a few stops away.  Wherever they got the house, though, may be a different story.

Sam couldn’t help himself from searching online when he had free time.  Checking out houses on Craigslist or ads in the paper.  He felt like his life was truly beginning.

Maybe he’d hit a hell of a hitch his freshman year, but everything was finally panning out and maybe he’d earned some good karma.

“What are you looking at?”  Brady asked as they were both set up in the library working on a report.  “’Cause I know you’re not getting giddy about Roe vs. Wade.  And if you are, I’m seriously gonna have to reconsider our friendship.”

“Sorry,” Sam shook his head and snapped out of it.  “It’s nothing.  I just got...never mind.  Here, I’m almost finished, you can check out my notes.” He scribbled down another few bullet points before pushing it ahead to Brady.  “That’s MLA notations.”

“Hey, thanks.”  Brady spun the paper around so it faced him and began typing into his laptop.

There was silence for a few minutes before another one of their mutual friends walked over and took a seat at the table.  

Sam smiled and waved at the beta while greeting, “Hey, Shelby.  You finish up with Reeder’s packet yet?”

“Yep,” she grinned and leaned into the table, “thank God!  Now I don’t have to worry about doing homework while hungover Sunday.  We still headed out Saturday night?”

Sam tilted his head in confusion, while he noted Brady’s suddenly nervous scent.

“Uh, yeah,” was his terse answer.

“Perfect!  Saturdays are the only things that keep me going through all this stress.”  Then Shelby turned her focus on Sam, “I know Brady says you’re lame and domestic, but you should still come out with us once in awhile!”

Sam raised an eyebrow and made eye contact with his friend.  “Lame and domestic, huh?  So you guys have been going out lately?”

“Lately?” the woman scoffed and rolled her eyes. “We’ve been going out  _ every  _ Saturday since school started!”

“Oh.”  The alpha tried to keep his voice light as he hummed and confirmed, “So that means for over two months.  Wow, yeah.  I’m  _ really  _ lame and domestic, considering my partner  _ works  _ every Saturday until 2 a.m.”  He leveled a glare at Brady. “I must be cleaning the house or baking or raising children, because I’m  _ so  _ domestic and lame.”

“Woah.”  Shelby leaned back in her chair, eyes flickering between the two men as she slowly enunciated, “Did I just cause trouble?  I didn’t mean to.  I just wanted you to come out with us, Sam.  I, uh, I’m gonna go work on something…not here, right now…talk to you guys later!”  And she fled the scene.

Sam’s eyes hadn’t left Brady’s as he asked, “So you don’t want me to hang out with you guys anymore, I take it?”

With a huff, Brady scrubbed a hand down his face and admitted, “You’ve moved on to bigger and better things, dude.  I figured you’d wanna spend your weekends off with your boyfriend, not with us getting shit-faced.”

“You didn’t even ask?”  That was the part that offended Sam.  “Seriously, though?  Gabriel works weekends.  I sit at home and do nothing.  And you’ve been out partying with all our friends and keeping it a secret from me?”

“It’s not a secret, it’s—”

“Then how come I haven’t heard about it until now?  It’s fucking November, and you’ve been doing it since September!  Obviously, you’ve worked pretty hard to keep it quiet if—”

“Dude, I’m sorry.  I figured your alpha wouldn’t want—”

“ _ My alpha _ ?”  Sam spat right back.  “When the fuck did he become ‘my alpha?’  He’s my boyfriend, not my fucking keeper.  I can do whatever the hell I want.  Shit, he’d probably want me to go out and have a good time!”

“Doubt it,”  Brady accidentally slipped under his breath, which made Sam see red.

“I think you’ve got a pretty fucked up view of what we are,” he snapped, irritation turning into anger.  “I’m not a kept omega.  We’re equals.  If I want to do something I don’t need his permission.  Sure, we’re moving in together.  Sure, we’re serious and I’m in love with him but I have my own life.  We’re not attached at the goddamn hip.”

At this point, multiple heads had turned to listen in on the tirade, and Brady reached out to grab Sam’s wrist and whisper, “Sam, chill out.  Please?”

If it had not been for the fact they were in the library, he would have told him to fuck off, but he had some respect.  So he took a deep breath and jerked out of his grasp.

Brady turned it around and took a different approach, because little did Sam know this had been an _order_ from _Gabriel_ he was trying to keep under wraps.  “I didn’t mean for this to hurt you.  I really thought you were over this phase.  We’re just being stupid and going out to get fucked up because we don’t have what you have.  I don’t know, maybe I’m jealous or something, and that’s why I didn’t invite you?”  Then he prayed Sam wouldn’t call his bluff.  “If you want to, it’s an open invitation on Saturdays.  But like I said, we're just wasting money, getting drunk and high and looking to get laid.  Didn't think that was your scene anymore.”

When he put it that way, Sam could understand, but he was still really upset.  He felt as though he was being ostracized from the group.  That the rest of his class was bonding and not only had he been excluded, but Brady had gone to lengths to make sure he didn’t find out.

It…hurt.

So instead of feeling sorry for himself, Sam stated, “Well, maybe this weekend.”

The shock and anxiety on Brady’s face was something he couldn’t have accounted for.

But still, his friend cleared his throat and nodded, “Yeah, uh, okay.  Well, text me and I’ll give you details or whatever.  I gotta hit it, thanks for the notes.”

Brady moved robotically as he gathered his things and forced a smile right before he exited.  Sam was left with a well of mixed feelings and none of them were good.  What the fuck had just happened?

He sighed and returned to the browser, deciding on finishing up his homework and calling it a day.  It was Thursday and Gabriel would get out earlier tonight and Sam didn’t have classes on Fridays.  Maybe they could actually look into house hunting.  After all, his lease was up in a couple weeks and right now that was the only thing Sam could think to cheer him up.

Since his friendship with Brady had transformed from best friends into something Sam could barely call colleagues and that bothered him.  More than he’d like to admit.

\--------------

Sam deliberately greeted his boyfriend with a dirty kiss the second he walked in the door, to which Gabriel eagerly responded.

“Well, hello to you, handsome,” he practically purred, chasing after Sam into the dining room where he’d ordered take out.  The sight of the made table, plates, silverware and all, caused Gabriel to grin and he excitedly announced to Sam, “I could get used to this.  Thai?”

“Yeah.”  Sam sat down across from him and started dishing out the food.  “I had a weird day and I wanted to be proactive.  So I got all my assignments done, finished packing my apartment and got take out.”

“That sounds like avoidance to me.”  Gabriel raised an eyebrow as he filled his plate.  “Should I be concerned?”

With a glance up and a brief moment of thought, Sam shook his head and decide, “Nah.  Just dumb friend stuff.  Nothing serious.”

Although ‘dumb friend stuff’ shouldn’t be important to anyone else, it raised red flags with Gabriel but he had no idea how to bring it up.  Especially, because Sam was trying so hard to blow it off.  So he tried a different approach.

“Hey, even if it’s not serious, if it’s something that bothers you, ya know I’m here to listen, right?”  He used a softer voice when saying it, and hoped it was something Sam responded to.

With a heavy sigh, he shook his head and groaned, “I shouldn’t be mad.  And I’m not mad about it, it’s just...I guess Brady and our friends have been going out every weekend since the start of school and he’s deliberately kept me out of the loop.  I feel—” Sam was grasping for the right words as he held a bite of food just out of range, “Like he thinks I’ve changed.  And I haven’t.  And it sucks.”

That wasn’t what Gabriel had been expecting.

And, fuck, if there was one thing he hadn’t planned for when threatening Brady, it had been completely alienating Sam from having a social life.  Hell, going out and having a good time with his friends at all.  It made sense Brady was the ringleader, the party planner, and this wasn’t something Gabriel had predicated.  Sure, Brady was staying the fuck out of Sam’s social life, like he’d ordered, but in the process he’d isolated Sam.

Now Gabriel felt like the biggest asshole in the universe.

He wasn’t the kind of knothead who needed their mate at home.  He wanted Sam to go out and have fun, and Gabriel had been the one to  _ ruin  _ it all.

Fuck.

“Why does he think you’ve changed?”  Gabriel was carefully testing the waters as he continued to eat.

“Well, one of our friends came by when we were studying and she said she wished I came out, but Brady used the excuse that I was domestic and lame.”

“So it really is Brady and not your other friends,” Gabriel stated aloud.  “I have a feeling you yelled at him, right?”

“How could I not?”  Sam narrowed his eyes at the other alpha.  “It sucks.  I wasn’t even given the choice to say no and  _ be  _ lame, he just told them I was and didn’t even bother to ask me.  Now, of course, he said there’s an open invitation but I don’t know if I even wanna bother.  I’m not gonna force someone to hang out with me.”

“You force me every day.”  Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows to try to lighten the mood but received one of the most intense bitchfaces he’d ever gotten.  “So…” he leaned into the table, “let’s go out.  Prove ‘em wrong.”

“What?”  Sam blinked in shock.  “You work on Saturday.”

“Yeah, but I never call in sick.”  He shrugged his shoulders, “I mean, I know before, you wanted me to come and meet your friends.  This way we can show Brady we’re not lame and domestic.  We haven’t gone out in a while but I know for a  _ fact  _ that when we do, we have a good time.”  Gabriel lavishly winked.

He also left out the part about ‘then you’re not alone with Brady and I can make sure that asshole doesn’t try anything.’

“You’d really come with me?”  Finally, a real smile began to shine on Sam’s face.  “I don’t want you to miss a big shift, since you’re saving up for the house and—”

“Are these real worries or do you just not want to be seen with me in public?”  Gabriel challenged as he finished the rest of the food on his plate.

“No, God, no.  Everyone always asks about you, I’d love for you to come out.”  Sam was nodding excitedly. “This will be fun, we’ll plan on it.”

“Good.  I’ll start to pretend to come down with something tomorrow.”  Gabriel began cleaning up and looped around the table to kiss Sam’s forehead and tease.  “For a second, I thought you may be ashamed of me.”

“Shut up.  You know I’ve tried to get you out before.  Last time just—” then Sam froze and he visibly paled.  “ _ Shit _ .”

Gabriel had already deposited his dishware into the sink and he was back at Sam’s side in a flash, grabbing onto his hand.  “Hey.  That’s not gonna happen again.  I saw it round one and saved you, I was lucky enough to get there round two.  There ain’t gonna be a round three, unless someone has a death wish.  If you don’t want to go out, I get it, that was—”

“No,” he jerked his attention around and looked Gabriel in the eyes.  “No, I need to.  Maybe that’s why he hasn’t invited me out.  Holy shit, I didn’t even think of that.  Brady never even knew I got drugged, he probably just thought I was being a drunk sorority girl who couldn’t handle her liquor and passed out in the bathroom.  Maybe I embarrassed him and  _ that’s  _ why.”  Sam schooled his features with his jaw clenched, “We have to.  You're right, I’ve _gotta_ prove him wrong.”

Gabriel was lucky his scent was still cloaked by blockers or else Sam would have scented something akin to rage.  Because the younger alpha didn’t know how terribly wrong _he_ was.  However, the point still stood.  Sam needed to get out, he needed to socialize and feel like a human again.  Gabriel could watch him, could have a good time and make sure Brady stayed the fuck away.

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”  Gabriel ran a hand through Sam’s hair.  “But that doesn't mean we haven’t earned a night out, right?  Or you, and all your crazy school work.  Here, let me clean up and we can relax, yeah?”

Sam nodded and let the man take his place.

After a second, he hesitantly spoke up and said, “Hey, Gabe?”

“What’s up?”

“So there were a couple houses I was looking at that you might like I have pulled up on my laptop.”  He sounded a little embarrassed, which caused Gabriel to become excited.

“Are they ones _you_ like?” he tossed over his shoulder while he began loading the dishes into the dishwasher.

“Well, yeah.  That’s why I wanted to show you.”

“Good.  ‘Cause it’s  _ our  _ house, Sammy,” he emphasized.  “Get that into your brain!”

After a beat and a laugh, Gabriel turned around to see Sam booting up the laptop and admitting, “I’m working on it, okay?”

Gabriel collapsed down onto the couch and snuggled up.  “Fantastic.  Show me whatcha got!”

\-----------------------

The only person Gabriel told the truth to was Zeke.

He sent his friend a message that he was calling in sick, as a warning that the alpha would probably have to hustle behind the bar tonight, but it was because Sam was going to the club where he was drugged last time.  Gabriel was close enough with the man to confide he wanted Sam to have a social life but he didn’t want to risk what happened to happen again.

Although he knew it wouldn’t, he felt he owed Zeke some kind of explanation.

Gabriel was getting better.

Instead of blatantly lying to people, he was beginning to omit certain details or tell half truths.  But the point was that there  _ was  _ truth to the things he was saying.  Which was progress in his mind.

Zeke sent a message back that he understood and he hoped nothing but the best for tonight.  Gabriel didn’t say anything back, but he hoped so, too.

Sam was like a happy puppy getting ready, mostly because he was able to go out with Gabriel and his friends.  This was something he had been wanting for a long time and finally it was something he was able to give him.

What Gabriel didn’t like was the fact that the meet up location was the same fucking place Brady always wanted to go.  The same place he’d rescued Sam from a couple months back.  Thankfully, Sam wasn’t bothered by it and Gabriel had shrugged it off—but he knew what it meant.  Gabriel knew the reason Brady continuously chose this place was because everyone turned a blind eye to the junkies and all the high assholes doing drugs there.

Hell, Gabriel had snorted lines of coke there with his brother.  It wasn’t like he was squeaky clean either.

Still, he was going to be there with Sam and they hadn’t had a chance to let loose in a while.  Gabriel had to dig into the back of his closet to find the clothes he used to wear when he was single and on the prowl.  Not like he was doing that tonight, but he could always dress to impress Sam, right?  He pulled out his favorite blazer, a dark button up and the pair of jeans that made his ass look fantastic.

Gabriel was already dressed and spraying on blockers by the time Sam was getting out of the shower and coming into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist.  He froze in his steps and tilted his head to the side, just eyeing Gabriel.

“Are you  _ trying  _ to make me mark you tonight?”  His voice had a hint seduction on the edges as he changed his course from the closet to Gabriel.

“Sometimes I clean up nice.”  He wiggled his eyebrows as Sam dipped down and kissed him.  “Mm, so you’re enjoying the view as much as I am?”

With a huff, Sam pulled himself away but let his hand linger on Gabriel’s hip.  “You look… really,  _ really  _ good.”

“Eloquent, as always, Sasquatch.”  He smacked Sam’s towel-covered rear before announcing, “Since we’re getting a cab I’m gonna take a shot.  God knows I need to pregame to deal with Brady.”

“Huh?  I thought you guys were all right?”  Sam asked right away, sounding puzzled.

Shit.

“I still don’t like that he gave you crap about the alpha thing.”  It rolled right off Gabriel’s tongue.  Hey, it was the truth. “Now, get yourself dressed and come join me.”

He double-timed it out into the kitchen and crouched down to where he kept the liquor.  There wasn’t a lot there, maybe three bottles, but he knew Sam was a whiskey man so he always kept that stocked and ready.  This one just so happened to be new.  He grabbed the bottle neck and set it up on the counter, briefly wondering whether or not they should bother with shot glasses, while he twisted past the seal.  He decided they were at that comfortable point in their relationship where he didn’t need to pretend to be proper.

Hell, Sam had known from day one Gabriel was a savage—so he had no problem drinking right from the bottle.

It had been a while since he’d drank.  Mostly because he hadn’t had a reason to.  When he was babysitting Cas and his friends, he had to drink to stay sane.  Then, after dealing with Cas and said friends, he needed to drink to celebrate no one dying.  Then along came Sam, who rarely drank at all and calmed Gabriel down.  His liver couldn’t be more grateful.

Gabriel already knew, whether it had been a long time or not, that his tolerance was much different than most people's.  Another true alpha problem.  So he was four shots deep when Sam came out and—

“Shit.  You look fucking delicious.”  He eyed the man from head to toe and suggested, “Let’s not go out tonight.  Let’s have marathon sex, because I’m getting hard gawking at you right now.”

“And you called  _ me  _ eloquent?”  Sam wore a cheeky grin as he rounded the corner and took the bottle from Gabriel’s hand.

He took a shot, never breaking eye contact, and asked innocently, “Have we called a cab yet?”

“I’ll, uh, do that right now.”  Gabriel unconsciously licked his lips because Sam’s were still glistening from the amber liquor and he wanted to fix that with his own tongue.

But he had to focus and pull out his phone.

He called the cab company, rattled off the address, and quickly announced, “They’ll be here in ten.”

Sam nodded, taking another pull from the bottle, then casually stating, “We’re gonna have awesome drunk sex tonight, aren’t we?”

“Fuck yes, we are.”

It wasn’t even a question.

\-------------

When they rolled up to the club and flashed their IDs it didn’t take any time at all locating their party.  They were seated around a table and another jab to Sam’s heart was the fact that it wasn’t just a couple of students from their classes.  It was a large group of over ten, and apparently they’d been doing this and bonding like this every week since the beginning of school.  It sucked.  It sucked hard.

But they were accounted for tonight, as two empty chairs sat along the edge, and everyone greeted Sam with excited cheers and demanded to meet his boyfriend.  

They sat down in the seats with the drinks they’d collected from the bar, and Shelby, who was obviously drunk, gushed, “Oh my gosh!  He’s _so_ cute!”

“Name’s Gabriel, but if you forget—I’ll answer to Cute, too.”  He winked at her and wrapped his arm around Sam.  “So if I understand it right, everyone here is in the same circle of Hell Sam is called law school?  I feel for you guys.  Not many people are built for that much academia.”

“It’s not as much the academics as the professors,” an omega piped up, rolling her eyes.  “I have two classes with professor Naomi.  Two!  Which means I have to call the suicide hotline not once, but twice per day!”

“I don’t know how you managed that,” Brady chuckled, still not having made eye contact with Gabriel yet.  “I would have switched professors on the course, or waited it out a semester.”

“Can’t, unless I wanna be a super senior.”  She sighed heavily, leaning on her hand.  “Enough about that, we wanna know about you!”  She obnoxiously pointed her finger and everything.  “You’ve been the boyfriend for so long and Sam has been happier than I’ve ever seen him since you guys have been together!  What’s your trick?”

“Well, my first trick,” he leaned forward conspiratorially, and glanced over his shoulder just in time, “Is magically making a round of shots appear for the table!”  He snapped his fingers for dramatic effect as the waitress began setting down shot after shot and they distributing them.

As soon as they’d walked in, not only had Sam and Gabriel ordered their own drinks, Gabriel insisted he’d make a good impression if he bought everyone a round of shots.  Sam told him that wasn’t necessary, but Gabriel insisted it was the easiest way to a stranger’s heart.  Begrudgingly, Sam agreed.

And by the way everyone’s eyes were lighting up, he’d say he’d won his debate.

“Dude, awesome!”  A male beta Gabriel recognized from last party grabbed his with zeal.  “Good catch, Sam!”

“You always win hearts with alcohol, don’t you?”  Sam rolled his eyes, but Gabriel intertwined their hands under the table.

“Worked with you, didn’t it?”

“I guess it did, didn’t it?” he mused back, then gave a very serious look to his peers.  “Cheers, to finally knowing I’m not faking a boyfriend!  I fucking told you!”

“Cheers!”

\------------------

“Holy hell,” Balthazar gasped at a sight across the bar, “Is that—?”

Cas was too busy in the middle of downing the four shots set out in front of him, but Meg looked over her shoulder to catch the sight that had Balthazar’s jaw dropped.  

She leveled him a look, smacked him in the shoulder and said, “Nah, only looks like him.”

“Are you sure?”  He tilted his head, brain clouded on a mixture of coke, a dash of ecstasy and alcohol.  “I know I’ve only seen him a handful of times but—”

“No.”  Her voice was hissed as she leaned in closer, quickly glanced at Cas’ turned back and pasted on a smile when she leaned towards the alpha.  “Gonna leave any for me, babe?”

“You’ll get the next round.”  He tipped back the last one with a goofy smile before wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close and into a sloppy kiss.  “We do need some more bottles,” she looked over to their favorite trust-fund baby who was frowning at Cas’ blatant affection with Meg tonight.

Castiel was too high for it to click.  These were the nights that he was supposed to be leading  _ her  _ on so she’d supply the party.  Meg wasn’t about to correct him, but she was a bit nervous the omega looked as if she was going to cut them off if Cas continued hanging off her instead.  And they didn’t exactly have the money these days…

In a sneaky move of his own, Balthazar ‘excuse me’d his way over a couple of their crowd to pop a seat next to her, and used his seductive accent to whisper, “Has anyone told you how simply ravishing you look tonight, darling?” in an attempt to take over.  He knew the game and Cas was too far gone to play it.

She preened under his attention while he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and grinned, “No, they haven’t.  But thank you for noticing.  I don’t think we’ve gotten to know each other well enough.”

“Not  _ nearly  _ well enough for my liking,” Balthazar practically cooed back.  “How about we change it?”

“I’d like that.”  She fell for it in the blink of an eye and was flagging over the waiters while asking him, “What do you like to drink?”

“I believe a nice bourbon and some vodka would do nicely.  I saw you liked your Grey Goose, if I’m not mistaken.”

“I do,” she agreed readily, and trailed her finger down the expanse of his chest that was bare from his deep v-neck shirt.  “I’m impressed you noticed.”

“I’m quite observant when it comes to lovely ladies like yourself.”  Balthazar winked lasciviously and flirted his heart out.

Meg and Cas looked at each other with knowing looks, and it was Cas’ hushed voice to say, “I knew he would come in handy.”

“No, you knew ecstasy makes him horny,” she countered with grin, but now she was nervous and putting on her best game face.

Because Gabriel and Sam were here.  And she had no fucking idea how Cas was going to react when he saw them.  She was going to have to do a good job distracting him tonight, because she had no other option.  Meg had a feeling seeing his brother again would break him, and she’d worked so damn hard to rebuild the pieces after Gabriel had abandoned him.

Fuck, this was a sticky situation.  One she hadn’t seen coming and she hated being caught off guard.

\-------------------- 

Gabriel was a hit.

It’s not like Sam assumed things would turn out any differently, but he’d known the alpha was a social butterfly.  He’d known it from the moment Gabriel approached him on his ‘one year sober’ anniversary.  Gabriel was fearless; he worked as a bartender and he knew how to read people.  Hell, he was even getting the most serious students in Sam’s class to burst out laughing at his jokes, and that was a feat all on its own.

Sam, himself, was feeling no pain.

He could see Gabriel watching each of his drinks being made, and once they were both a little tipsy, he even reminded Sam not to let it out of his hand.  Maybe Gabriel was worried about voicing what happened last time at first, and the alcohol made him a little loose lipped—but it was good advice, all the same.  As far as Sam knew, they never caught the culprit.

Another thing that was…interesting, was the fact that Gabriel was deliberately letting Sam take the lead on everything.  

It took him a while to realize  _ why _ , but after enough drinks Sam tugged Gabriel to the side out of earshot from the group and asked him point-blank, “Are you playing beta?”

He shrugged his shoulders, completely honest, “Well, they know  _ you’re  _ an alpha.  I thought it’d make things easier.”

“You know I’m not ashamed you’re—”

“Sammy.”  Gabriel hauled him down and kissed him, but on the release told him, “Trust me.  It’s better in the long run.”

And, all right.  That made Sam’s frown only amplify.  Which read loud and clear in his scent as well.

Gabriel noticed there was an empty table near where Sam had pulled them away, and he set his drink down to give his boyfriend his full attention.  He grabbed both Sam’s hands and looked him directly in the eyes.

“I play beta at work too, not just here.  That way there’s no posturing  _ and  _ there’s no pampering.  It’s a safe zone to fly under people’s radar.  It’s  _ my  _ safe zone.”  He squeezed Sam’s hands and tilted his chin.  “I want to be able to be with you in public.  I want to be able to be in love with you in public.  This is the easiest way.  No one will judge or give us shit.  Please?”

There was a little bit of a growl in Sam’s chest as he admitted, “I hate that it has to be this way.”

“Hey, don’t be a knothead.”  He hopped up on his toes and pecked a kiss on Sam’s lips.  “This has been a great night.  I’m happy I’ve finally been able to go out with you.  I’m happy I’ve gotten to meet your friends.  Just let me do my thing.”

“Fine,” he finally huffed out and felt himself shrink.  “I…get it.”

“Stop pouting.  You look too fucking sexy to be pouting.  Let’s do a shot.”  Gabriel winked and picked up his drink, tugging the other alpha towards the bar.

As they arrived, a familiar face greeted them and Gabriel laughed out, “Holy hell!  Jessica fuckin’ Moore!  You finally got out of that shit hole?!”

“Gabriel?!”  Her eyes widened and then she looked over to see the other man.  “Oh my God!  You two are still together?!  Did I seriously liquor you both into a relationship way back then?!”

“Uh, well, we hooked up that night,” Sam admitted with a smirk, glancing at Gabriel, “then he ditched me.  And we reconnected over a year later.”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Jess laughed and shook her head.  “It’s great to see you two!”

“When did you start working here?”  Gabriel had to ask, because the last two (well, one and a half) times he was here, the blonde was nowhere to be found.

“Just this past month.  Normally, it’s super hard to get hired in here, but I heard through the grapevine there was some shady chick pocketing money from the register and…well, doing really fucking shady things, like taking bribes from people and actually spiking drinks with shit.  What the fuck, right?  I just sent in an application at the perfect time and was hired in the next day.”  Then, she dramatically stage-whispered, “Although, the crowd’s not that much different than the last job, sad to say.  The drinks are just more pricey.  Which adds to the tip money.”

“Yeah, I coulda told you that,” Gabriel scoffed, and was shocked that the rest of the pieces fell into place and hoped to God that meant Sam would now be safe, even though he noticed the other alpha flinch.  This ex-bartender bitch was lucky he didn’t know her name or else she’d be getting a visit from him, too.  But he needed to shrug it off and then said, “You’re doing a shot with us!  What’ll it be, Miss?”

“I’m a Jäger girl, myself.”

“Sick,” Sam immediately interjected, but followed up with, “but it _is_ a reunion.  And you _did_ help me meet this guy, so we’ll do it for you.”

“You bet your ass you will.”

“Oh, I’ve missed you.”  Gabriel batted his eyelashes as she filled up three shot glasses.  “My sassy little Jess.”

“You’ll have to come around more.”  She winked and grabbed one of the glasses as the two men did.  “Cheers to a reunion!”

\-----------------

It wasn’t until Cas began shifting around and looking confused that Meg knew something was up.  She tried to coax him into another drink, but he held it at arm's length, sniffing the air.

It was so freakin' obvious, she couldn’t ignore it and was forced to ask, “What are you doing?”

“I can scent…” his words were slurred until he actually stood up, and Meg aggressively pulled him back down.

“What can you scent?  You look like a weirdo.  People are gonna know you’re strung out, chill, Clarence.”  Meg tried to keep her voice teasing and seductive, but Cas was on a mission.

Although he allowed her to keep him in the booth, he looked at her with focused eyes and deliberately said, “I can scent Gabriel’s previous lover.”

_ ‘Current  _ lover,’ was on the tip of Meg’s tongue, but she couldn’t exactly correct him, because that would be a confession that she had visited both Sam and Gabriel recently.  That she still remained in contact with Castiel’s brother, who had cut him out of his life, and of course that was something similar to an ultimate betrayal.

So she laughed and teased the bottom of his chin with her fingertips, asking, “The one you spilled the drink on?  Wouldn’t it be best to ignore him?  Didn’t you say he was a giant?”

Castiel hung his head and nodded, then mused aloud, “I wonder how Gabriel’s doing these days.”

“Babe, you need a pick-me-up.  You don’t need to worry about  _ that _ .”  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a baggie, and followed by a tab she immediately stuck in Cas’ mouth.  “Now, you wait for that to kick in, and we’re gonna dance.  Deal?”

He flashed her a shark-like grin and nodded, “You’re too good to me.”

“I know.”  Meg threw her hair over her shoulder and sucked his earlobe into her mouth.  She then whispered, “I need to use the little girl’s room, but I’ll be right back.  And then we’ll go dancing, all right?”

His glazed over eyes looked happy and he nodded profusely, “Don’t be long.”

She winked and dodged out of the booth, “Don’t you worry.”

\----------------

Sam and Gabriel were three sheets, chatting and laughing with a group of four (Brady nowhere in sight) when Gabriel felt himself getting tugged by the arm.  Sam’s eyes lit up when he realized it, but it was Gabriel’s nostrils that flared because he knew  _ exactly  _ what was happening.

He blurted a quick, “Be right back.”

While Sam was asking, “What the fuck?”

And Gabe gave him that ‘trust me’ look as he was lead away.

This was the last thing he wanted, though.  Sam alone with this group, alone with Brady, he only hoped that his threats had been enough, because right now he was being yanked back onto the smoker’s patio.  By an omega he knew very, very well.

Once they were outside, he came face to face with Meg who’s scent seemed a bit panicked, but more than that…it was laced with his  _ brother’s _ .

“Fuck,” Gabriel cursed, “he’s here tonight?”

She nodded, putting her hands on her hips in the open air and yanking out her pack of cigarettes.  On a heavy exhale, she explained, “Balthazar and I were the only ones who saw you.  Balthazar is fucked seven ways from Sunday and I convinced him it was someone who  _ looked  _ like you.  But Cas ‘scented your  _ ex _ .’  Doesn’t think it possible you’d keep up a relationship, so he has no idea you’re here.  But I felt I’d give you a fair warning.”

“Goddammit.”  He plucked the cigarette from Meg’s lips and took a deep drag before replacing it in her mouth right away.  “I’m out meeting his friends.  I can’t just drag him away…” his muddled thoughts weren’t as sharp as they’d be sober.

Gabriel couldn’t construct a decent plan to even save his life right now if he needed to; he thought he’d be safe.  He thought this would be a fun night out, he never took into account that Castiel would be here.  Meg was looking at him with anticipation, because normally he was the mastermind who could come up with any plan, and quick.  But he’d been slacking in that department lately, he hadn’t needed to use his, quote, ‘evil genius.’

With a glance to his watch, he noticed it was barely after midnight and he had a feeling both groups were looking to close down the bar.  Shit.

He’d be an ass if he cut Sam’s night out short.

He couldn’t run from his brother.

Yet, he couldn’t put Meg in charge of Cas having a breakdown, as much as she’d come through for him.  Especially lately.

“He has no idea I’m here, right?”  He looked Meg in the eyes, and took the (this time) offered cigarette.

“Nope.  Just knows Sam’s here,” she confirmed.

“You guys in the VIP section again?”

“Yep.  And I’m going to take him on the dance floor because it’s blocked by the bar.”

“Good, good,” Gabriel sighed, “I’ll keep out of sight.  That’s something I’m a pro at.  I can’t drag Sam home, I’ll look like an overbearing alpha.  He  _ needs  _ this night out, it’s his first since…”

“Oh.”  Her eyes lit up in understanding.  “I get it.  All right, we’ll just stay on opposite sides of the place.  We’ll make this work.”

“Thanks.”  The smile he gave Meg was forced, but he meant it.  “Yeah, we can do this.  Text me if I do need to evacuate.”

“Roger that.”

Before they left, Meg pulled a perfume bottle from her purse and sprayed herself down, knowing that Gabriel’s scent was covered in Sam and she didn’t want Cas to scent that on her.  They walked back inside and split paths.

\------------

When Gabriel hopped back over to the table with a smile, Sam was eyeing him warily, but was in the middle of a conversation was his classmate that would be rude to interrupt.  So he kept giving him looks, one of which was a glare.  Gabriel didn’t like that one at all.  He reached under the table to grab Sam’s hand, but he actually pulled away.

What the fuck?

He settled for gently holding Sam’s thigh and caressing his thumb along it, even if his boyfriend didn’t respond.

Eventually, there was a lull in the conversation, and Gabriel patted Sam and asked, “Hey, do you need a refill?” just to get the ball rolling.

Sam looked down at his drink and said, “I can do it myself.”

“Woah,” Gabriel wouldn’t let it go any further than this, “What’s going on?  Are you okay?”

“Where did you just go?”  His voice was strangely even.

“An old friend wanted to say hi really quick.  What’s wrong with you?”

“You’re covered in omega scent and you have lipstick on your mouth.”  Now, it was deadly, as he shoved Gabriel out of the booth.  “I can get my own drink.”

“Sam, we shared a fucking cigarette!  And she didn’t want to smell like she’d smoked—” his hand darted out to grab a napkin and wipe away whatever color had lingered on his goddamn lips, because, okay, that _totally_ did look bad.  

He followed Sam to the bar, defending, “You really think I’d risk us for a fuckin’ quickie make-out?!  What the hell!”

The scent left in Sam’s wake was drunken anger, more than anything.  Like he didn’t necessarily believe it or want to believe it, so Gabriel still had a chance.  

He grabbed Sam’s arm and yanked him around before he could reach Jess, speaking in a calm voice, “You know I would  _ never  _ do that to you.  You’re not that insecure, we  _ both  _ know that.  You’ve been pissed off at me ever since the beta thing.  Please, tell me what the hell I can even do to make you happy right now.”

Sam’s eyes widened and he was speechless for a second before he somewhat deflated. 

Then, he turned his back and walked the rest of the way to the bar.

Gabriel’s frustrations came to a head because he’d dealt with Sam when he was sassy drunk, flirty drunk, horny drunk, and livid (for a good reason) drunk.  He had no idea what the hell was going through the kid’s mind right now, and that was a problem.  A huge problem—because Sam was so hot and cold.

Sam seemed to be excited he was here, that Gabriel was blending in with his friends, that he was making a good impression and they were having a good time but he had no idea what  _ this  _ kind of Sam was.  Gabriel could be a complete dick and ask if he was on his period, but he wouldn’t do that.

Now, there was the added threat of his fucking brother being here and suddenly he had to be on guard.  The last thing Gabriel needed was to get into a fight with his boyfriend at a public place.

What did Sam want out of him?

To come out to his friends as an alpha?  To admit to him that his brother, who he said adios to, was here and they needed to play it cool?  That Brady was the one who drugged him?  And Gabriel had threatened him and that’s why his friends had shunned him?

Jesus, now that he thought about it, there were so many lies stacked up it’d be an avalanche if they towered over.

Gabriel wasn’t even sure if he could deal with this right now.  If he even wanted to.

He wanted this to be a fun night out and he wanted to do it for Sam—but now the question was if Sam was even having fun.  And whether or not it was Gabriel’s fault.

When he glanced to the bar, it was to see Jess giving him an awkward and apologetic expression as Sam threw back not one, but two shots.  Gabriel rolled his eyes and tossed his hands up as a way of reply.

It was then, he realized he hadn’t been thinking clearly at all.

He’d been too affected by Sam’s scents.

Too in-tuned.

Fuck.  He wasn’t even thinking with his own brain—he was getting caught up with Sam’s and  _ that’s  _ what was making him emotional.  Like a fucking mate would.  He needed a breath of fresh air, he needed to clear his mind because he wasn’t thinking, he was  _ feeling _ , and it was because of the other alpha.  He made the universal signal to Jess for ‘cigarette,’ and headed back outside.

At least Gabriel knew she wouldn’t put anything in his drink for a million fucking bucks.  She was better than that, and he also knew she’d keep an eye on him.  Jess was just awesome in that way and, as a fellow bartender, she knew the drill.  She could read people and right now she’d be able to read they were having a lover’s spat.

Jess would make sure Sam didn’t do anything stupid and Gabriel needed to gather his bearings.  He needed solidarity.

He walked back out to the patio, this time alone, and collapsed into a chair.

This was brand-fucking-new.

Even when Kali was in one of her moods, he was able to stay in control.  He was able to talk her down.  Was it just because he was drunk that he was becoming overwhelmed and compromised by Sam’s scent?

Or was it something more?

He grabbed a cigarette and lit it as fast as his fingers would move, the chilly night air barely cooling him down.  Gabriel sucked down the menthol like it was a lifeline, but it didn’t make him feel much better.  Although, getting away from Sam’s negativity was beginning to make him more clear-headed.  Still, he was left with so many questions.

What did Sam want from him?  What the fuck did he want him to do?

Gabriel hung his head in defeat and ran a hand through his hair, snuffing out the butt in the ashtray.  This was so stupid.  He was simply trying to make everything easier for Sam because he cared about him, and he’d pissed him off.

Now, his stupid drunk brain was telling him maybe Sam deserved a  _ real  _ beta or an omega.

Then shit wouldn’t be complicated like this.

Maybe Sam  _ did  _ deserve better than him.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I usually respond to comments before posting but I ALSO know this chapter's a little late...so I wanted to update as soon as I could! 
> 
> Huge thanks to everyone who commented last chapter, I loved your feedback and I hope you enjoy this one too <3

“What’s going on?” Jess asked while she poured Sam a drink after she watched Gabriel disappear out to the patio.  “Why are you brooding?”

He wouldn’t look at her when he shrugged and reached out to grab his drink.

But she kept it right out of his grasp, explaining, “Nope.  Not until you give me an answer.”

That got his attention.

Sam snapped up with narrowed eyes and saw her give him that no-bullshitting-me look.  And coming from a girl like Jess, it was fierce.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, not sure what to say before he huffed out, “Gabriel, he…” with a sigh, Sam finished, “he tries to protect me.  And I get it, I do, but he doesn’t have to.  And then he goes and turns it around like he’s protecting himself, so I don’t get a say in it but I think he’s handling me with kid gloves and I don’t get a choice.”

“Hmm.”  The blonde appeared thoughtful for a second before she tilted her head and leaned forward to whisper, “It’s about the alpha thing, isn’t it?”

Sam’s eyes doubled in size and he demanded, “You knew?!”

“I knew from before,” she winked. “That old, shady bar?  I knew the people he used to take home.  Sorry, you probably didn’t wanna hear that, but I knew Gabriel way before you did.  And I knew he was an alpha for a while.  Which is why I was surprised.  I mean, with the way he was mingling with your crowd tonight.  Your friends, am I right?  And he doesn’t want them to give you any shit.”  She studied his face closely. “Did I get the gist of it?”

“ _All_ of it,” Sam blurted. “See?  It doesn’t bother you, so why should it matter—”

“Sam.”  Jess reached across the bar, finally releasing his captive drink to grab his hand instead.  “How many alphas would even _consider_ pretending to be anything but an alpha?”  She raised a challenging eyebrow.  “That takes a special kind of guy to _lower_ their designation in the first place.  He’s doing it because he loves you and wants to make life easier.  I’m not gonna lie, it sounds like you’re the one with something to prove.  And sure, I’m awesome, but the rest of the world isn’t.  He’s doing everything he can to make you two work out.  Why are you kicking and screaming?”

“Because…”

To be honest, now that he thought about it...Sam didn’t have an answer.  Or a good one, at least.

He was just drunk and frustrated, and taking it out on Gabriel.  Who is the last person he should be taking it out on.  Gabriel was trying to make tonight perfect, which he’d been doing with flying colors, and it was Sam who was being the pain in the ass.

“Because you’ve given me too much booze,” he finally decided on.

“Then that’ll be your last drink, okay?”  Jess winked at him and added, “He’s smoking, just an FYI.”

Sam nodded slowly and turned around to head to the smoking patio.

\------------

Gabriel had finally made up his mind when he snuck back in.

He made sure to bypass the dance floor all together and get a good look around.  Brady had left, which was excellent.  Probably with that girl he was hanging out with the entire night in a fantastic attempt to avoid Gabriel, and Sam by proxy.  Sam hadn’t seemed too torn up about it, because he’d been ecstatic to see and socialize with his friends at all.

Thankfully, Sam had left the immediate bar area and he swooped in front of Jessica, who looked surprised to see him.

She raised an eyebrow with a, “Yes, Gabriel?”

“Because you’re a little angel, I’m going to be the patron who drunkenly leaves without closing his tab.  Except, I’m leaving it open for Sam so you can run it at the end of the night and I’ll come pick it up tomorrow when you open.  Leave yourself a 50% tip.”  He opened his wallet and handed her a card with an alias she was already familiar with and never asked questions about, so she didn’t balk at the name on the Visa.

Instead, she balked at the part about, “You’re ditching Sam?”

“I’m not _ditching_ Sam,” he immediately tried to explain.  “There’s no reason for me to be here anymore.  I’m pissing him off.  He needs to catch up with his friends, who he hasn’t been able to party with in God knows _how_ long, and _I’m_ putting him in a shit mood.  Plus,” he leaned forward, knowing she’d be the only one to truly understood, “remember my fuck up of a brother?  We cut ties.  And Meg told me he’s here.  Right now.  If pissing Sam off isn’t reason enough, it’s the risk of running into Cas.  There’s literally no reason for me to be here.”

“I just sent Sam after you.”  Jess narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips, refusing to take the credit card.  “He’s just being drunk and stupid, I set him straight—”

“That’s just the point.”  Gabriel’s voice took an eerily calm tone.  “He’s _not_ being drunk and stupid.  He’s right.  Now, take the damn card.  And here’s a twenty to give him for a cab ride home.  I gotta rip this band aid off, quick.”

The alpha left both items out on the bar, knowing Jess wouldn’t just leave them there for anyone to grab.  If Sam thought he was out smoking, he’d have to head back that way to say a short goodbye.

While he was whipping around the corner, he nearly crashed into someone else.

But it wasn’t Sam.

Although the person looked just as stunned as Sam would have.

It was Castiel.

_Fuck_.

For some reason, in his drunk brain staring down his little brother brought out this fight or flight response in him, even though he was momentarily lost in those confused blue eyes.  Meg was flanking the younger alpha and smacking herself in the forehead, their plan completely shattering into a million pieces right before their eyes.  And Cas opened his mouth to say something.

But then all of a sudden, Sam was right behind Cas, emerging from the patio while he looked confused at Gabriel’s expression.

It must not have been a good one, because the first person to speak when the world seemed frozen was Sam.

“Is there a problem here?”

“Nope.”  Gabriel popped the p, tearing his eyes from Cas and looking over his brother’s shoulder to address Sam.  “I was looking for you.  I think I’m heading out.”

“What?   _Why_?”  Sam was trying to push past Meg and Cas, but the dark-haired alpha was an immovable force in his way.

“Gabriel, we _need_ to talk, _please_ , can we talk?”  Castiel begged, taking a step closer to his brother and went as far as to grab his wrist.

Gabriel practically growled as he tore his hand away and hissed, “No, I told you I had _nothing_ to say to you.  You don’t think I can scent you and how much shit you’re on right now?  Fucking leave me alone.”

“Is he giving you trouble?”  Sam’s alpha was rearing to the surface, and he’d already effectively shoved Meg out of the way, who screeched, “Hands off the goods, pal!”

“Just give me five minutes,” the scents of regret and pain were flooding Gabriel’s nostrils as Castiel tried for a second time to reach out and pull his brother closer.

Gabriel couldn’t have anticipated what happened next.

Never in his wildest dreams.

Sam had his hand wrapped around Cas’ throat and he was pinning him to the wall within narrow space of the small hallway, snarling, “He told you to fuck off.”

“ _Oh_ , you’re s-still with the Russian spy,” he leered to his brother.  “G-good for you.”  Then, high and drunk Cas kicked in and tsked, “Though he’s all brawn and no form—”

—as he knocked himself free of the choke hold, and sucker-punched Sam in cheekbone and the gut.

Sam doubled over with the wind knocked out of him, but a fire ignited in his eyes.  Although he had trained in martial arts, all that flew out the window when he saw the fucker harassing his boyfriend and having the balls to attack him, too.

That made Sam see _red_.

He was still gripping his stomach when he charged and completely knocked Castiel over with his shoulder and brute force, flat on his back.  They were both on the ground, Sam straddling the so-called stranger, as he decked Cas in the face.

Each strike made Castiel’s head look like it was made of rubber, with how it bounced back into place.  Or some kind of bobble head with it’s nose (possibly broken) gushing blood and a split lip.  Yet, he was manically _laughing_ , which egged Sam on and made his blood boil.

Sam was fucking furious—he’d never given into his animal side like this—and he kept punching until he was physically hauled away.

He was yelling, Sam didn’t even know _what_ he was yelling, and the woman—he’d seen her before, he _knew it_ , was screaming bloody murder at him.  It was then, he realized the arms holding him back and restraining him like shackles were Gabriel’s arms.

An audience had gathered, even though there wasn’t much room for a group to collect in the hallway, and the woman was pulling Castiel back out to the patio while Gabriel shouted at the crowd.

“Show’s over, motherfuckers!”  And he actually used some of his true alpha voice to get them scampering away.

“All right, Rocky,” Gabriel hauled Sam up while he was looking around in confusion, but noticed his knuckles and some of his clothes were covered in blood.  “Let’s get you to the bathroom.  Gotta see if those need stitches.”

The crowd parted where they walked, and soon Sam found himself leaning against the counter as Gabriel ran the faucet over his hand.  There was a knock at the door, which was bizarre—but when Gabriel opened it he saw a flash of blonde hair.  He stuck his head out and when he caught her flick her finger in a ‘come hither’ motion, he crept out a bit further.

With a whisper, she handed him two shots and admitted, “Did _not_ see that coming.  Your card’s been run.  You two should probably head home soon.”  Once he took the glasses, she slid the receipt, twenty and credit card in his pocket and huffed.  “Never boring, right?”

He nodded, but still didn’t have the words.

“Be safe tonight, Gabe.”

“Thanks, Jess.  You’re the best.”

“I know.”  And, with a wink, she disappeared.

Sam barely looked up when Gabriel approached and handed him a shot (to his uninjured hand) while he downed one himself.  Because Sam was still so confused.  The young alpha took it though, if only to numb the pain of his throbbing cheekbone and torn knuckles.

“Well, I think yer gonna live,” Gabriel said, as the water finally ran clear and he thought aloud, “I’ve got gauze at home.  We’ll wrap and bandage you up there.”

“I’ve never…” were the first words Sam had formed since the fight.  “I’ve never lost control like that.”

“Eh, happens to the best of us.”  Gabriel wanted to get the hell away from this situation, because it was all kinds of wrong and he didn’t know what to think.

Gabriel _refused_ to let himself think.

Because then he’d have to _explain_ and pick a side, and—

He couldn’t do that.

“Has it happened to you?”  Sam looked up at him with the biggest puppy eyes to date, and terrible fear.

He wanted to quip, ‘Have I beat the living shit out of your brother?  Nope.  Can’t say I have.’

Instead, he nodded and settled on a calming, “Yeah, I’ve lost control of my alpha instincts before.”

“ _Fuck_ , I mean, I _know_ you can take care of yourself, you just looked scared, I _must_ have been _imagining it,_ but I felt this fire in my blood and I needed to—”

“Shh,” Gabriel soothed, cupping Sam’s cheeks and pressing their foreheads together.  “You’re fine, babe.  Let’s go home, alright?”

He swallowed hard and nodded as he allowed Gabriel to pull him from the bathroom, through the bar and out onto the street.  It didn’t look like many of their friends were still there, if they even saw the fight, and for that Sam was grateful.  The car ride home passed in a blur and soon, they were back at Gabriel’s apartment.  It honestly felt like Sam had never left the bar bathroom, except for the fact that he was now seated on the edge of the tub while Gabriel expertly dressed his split knuckles, and he remembered something.

Sam’s eyes darted up to Gabriel’s intent focus on the dressings and asked, “Why were you gonna leave?”

“Hah,” he said without any humor.  “You remember that, out of everything?”

“Yeah.”  Sam recoiled his hand until the other alpha looked up to meet his gaze.  “Why were you leaving?”

With a huff, Gabriel sat back and patted his thighs almost awkwardly.  “Because I thought all I was doing was pissing you off.  And you were having fun with your friends before you started getting frustrated with me.  I thought if I took myself out of the equation, you’d go back to having a good time.”

“It’s not like—” Sam pursed his lips together.  “I needed time to understand.  I talked to Jess and she made me see my head was up my own ass.  I went out to the patio to find you, and that’s when…well.  That’s when I caught that fucker harassing you.”  Then, he asked the one question Gabriel didn’t want to hear nor answer.  “Who was he?  Why wouldn’t he back off when you told him to?”

“Someone from my past.”  That’s the only thing Gabriel could settle on.  “Someone I don’t want in my present or my future, someone who knew that.”  He ruefully shook his head.  “He doesn’t know how to get a hold of me, so that was his only chance at talking to me and he was fucked up as shit, so he was desperate, I guess.”

Sam studied Gabriel’s face carefully, before he asked, “Should I not have kicked his ass?”

“He had it coming.”  Even Gabriel could admit that.  Then, to lighten the mood, since they’d been shrouded in nothing but darkness for the last half of the evening, he had to say, “Didn’t know you had it in you.  Protecting little ol’ me, Sammy.”

“I didn’t either.”  He looked down to his feet abruptly, a small blush of his cheeks.  “And I feel stupid, because I’m _against_ fighting and the _one time_ I get into a bar fight it’s to _defend_ my boyfriend who’s a goddamn _true alpha_.  What the hell.”

“Shows you care.”  Gabriel leaned forward and kissed the exposed expanse of Sam’s neck, and then teased, “Who woulda thought this was how tonight would go down.  I thought we’d get nice and drunk, and then we’d have to leave ‘cause I’d get too handsy…since you look absolutely gorgeous in that get-up.”

Sam hummed and shivered from Gabriel’s breath against his neck.  “Yeah.  Definitely a turn of events.”

“If we were anywhere else I’d totally try to straddle you, but that’d end up with us falling backwards into the tub so my style’s been officially cramped.”  Gabriel hopped to his feet and extended his hand.  “Let’s get outta the bathroom, at least.  Is that alright, _alpha_?”  He practically purred the last word.

“Shut up,” Sam grumbled but took the offered hand and let Gabriel pull him to his feet.

“I’m gonna get us some water bottles.  I’m still drunk as fuck.”  He wiggled his eyebrows and swatted Sam’s ass on the way to the bedroom, before he turned the other way for the kitchen.

Sam wasn’t sure what to think.  But he wasn’t going to lie.  The way Gabriel was calling him alpha was more of a turn-on than a taunt at this point.  If the man was trying to make the night better, Sam could get down with that.  After all, it had _begun_ amazingly.  Until Sam had been the one to think idiotic things and work himself into a bad headspace—one that Jessica pulled him out of.

He was trying to forget about the fight altogether.  Even though he could feel the beat of his heart in his knuckles and he knew his face would be sporting a giant bruise tomorrow.  And his bad mood had almost pushed Gabriel to leave him—

Shit.  Why was he such a mess?  Why was he being a brat?  Why couldn’t he just realize what they had was amazing and not get nit-picky when he was drunk?  He was taking everything Gabriel did for him for granted and turning it into _himself_ being wronged.  How fucked up and childish was that?

He was an asshole.

His boyfriend was too fucking good for him.

That was the reason he’d gone ape-shit on the dude that was harassing Gabriel.

He was trying to get rid of his pent-up aggression, maybe some of his self-hatred, and take it out on a physical target.  Well, mission a-fucking-complished.  Good work, Winchester.

He hadn’t even realized he was milling around the bedroom until there were two water bottles on the nightstand and then the lights flickered off.  Sam froze as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind and finally he relaxed a little.

“Stop,” Gabriel ordered in a smooth, confident way.

“Stop what?”  Sam’s question was weak by comparison.

“Whatever you’re thinking about.  Stop it.”

“I can’t turn off my brain,” he grumbled in, again, a childlike way.  Still...he couldn’t help it.

He was _too_ fucking _drunk_.

“Well, let me help.”  There was nothing but mischief in that voice and it spelled nothing but trouble.

But, really, when _wasn’t_ Gabriel trouble?

Sam was honestly expecting his jacket to be pulled off, his shirt to be unbuttoned, or something similar.  

This time, Gabriel’s hand went right for the front of his pants and teased the outline of his cock.  It pulled a gasp from Sam’s throat, both from the surprise and the expert touch—Gabriel had caressed, stroked and pumped him into full hardness through the fabric in no time at all.  His dick was straining through the material, and it was only then Gabriel turned him around.

He wore a Cheshire-like grin as he pulled Sam down to kiss him hard, but didn’t unbutton or unzip his pants.  Gabriel just left him horny and needy, and Sam had to explain how bad he needed more of his touch with his lips and his tongue.

When he tried to grab at Gabriel, the alpha denied each of his advances and Sam groaned into his mouth.  He was beginning to sweat, the need to peel his jacket off becoming more urgent, while Gabriel simply nipped at his neck and pulled away.  Gabriel studied him, pupils dilated, as he licked his lips and nodded to himself.

“This was how I wanted to see you.”

“Horny as hell?”  Sam chuckled, trying to grab him and drag their bodies together.

“Among other things.”  His hands bypassed the jacket so he could slide his hands up and down his sides, feeling Sam’s muscles through the shirt. “All dressed up and wrecked.  You look beautiful like this.”

“I look even better undressed,” Sam taunted, trying to catch Gabriel off guard and lose his edge.

It nearly worked.  Gabriel’s hands fisted the fabric he was stroking, but then pulled himself back together in the blink of an eye.

He nodded in agreement, “Yes, yes you do.  But I get you like _this_ so rarely, I’m going to enjoy it.”

Gabriel emphasized his point by gripping Sam’s shoulders and shoving him back to the bed, still fully dressed.

It was impressive neither of them broke eye contact, because Sam was so familiar with Gabriel’s moves when he got into this mood.  When he was toying with him.  So he made sure his expression was just as challenging, and twice as enticing.  He let Gabriel watch him, all spread out with his cock straining against his pants while he licked his lips.

Gabriel joined him by springing up to the bed and hovering over Sam, so close to his erection.

What made Sam’s breath catch in his throat, was how close Gabriel’s _mouth_ was.

He couldn’t help it—he arched upward, and Gabriel surprised the hell out of him by not pulling away.  Instead, he mouthed at the outline of his cock, drawing out a long moan from Sam’s throat.  He could only hold his hips up for so long, but he didn’t have to, because Gabriel grabbed them and shoved him back down into the mattress.

The sound of the zipper was music to Sam’s ears, because this was starting to become torture.  He was sweating, his heart was racing, and he was almost positive he’d soaked through the front of his boxers, if not his pants, too.  When his cock finally sprung free, the relief flowing through his veins was palpable, as was the sigh.

Sam was ready for his jeans to be ripped off.

He was _not_ ready for Gabriel to suck the head of his cock into his mouth.

The noise Sam made was somewhere between a yelp and a gasp, as Gabriel caught him off guard and continued with the addition of his tongue.  It forced Sam to curse while Gabriel licked down his entire shaft, and shudder when he lapped at the beginning of Sam’s knot.

Fuck, Sam hadn’t realized he was already that far gone.

Then when Gabriel began to take his entire dick down his throat, Sam was writhing and mewling.

It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair at all.  He was falling apart, both from the blow job and how good Gabriel looked…but finally, maybe he understood _why_.  It was the eye candy plus the unadulterated pleasure, but Sam didn’t want this to be the end of it.  He knew Gabriel was beyond talented with his mouth and he could get Sam off in no time at all.

But Sam wanted more—even if he wanted this just as badly.

Goddamn his drunk brain and drunk body.

“Gabe—” He hated how the word came out like a whimper.  “You gotta stop, or else I’m—”

Gabriel pulled off Sam’s cock just long enough to ask, “How do you wanna cum?” before lapping up another gush of precum from the slit.

“With you inside me—” his answer was instant.

“Oh?”  Gabriel reached and unhooked Sam’s belt, yanking it off while he teased, “I thought _you_ were the big, bad alpha tonight.”

“Who needs to be reminded you’re not the beta you played at,” Sam quipped back immediately.  “Get me out of these fucking clothes!”

“Is that an order?”  He raised an interested eyebrow while his hands lingered, hooked inside both Sam’s pants and boxers.

“Yes!”  It was a growl as Sam lifted his hips.

With a satisfied grin, Gabriel yanked down the fabric and tossed it to the floor.  When Sam sat up to pull off his own jacket the other alpha was on him, straddling his hips and stopping his hands.

“I thought you ordered _me_ to undress you.”  He emphasized the words with a casual roll of his pelvis down onto Sam’s naked cock.

He froze up, now nose-to-nose with Gabriel, and swallowed hard.

Gabriel tilted his head to the side and practically purred out, “Good.”

He was hovering over Sam’s lap, denying him any more friction as he slowly removed the jacket, pushing it off one shoulder at a time.  Once it pooled on the bed, gravity dropping it from Sam’s arms, Gabriel began working on the buttons one by one.

Sam hated and loved that Gabriel was still fully dressed in some strangely sexy way, but one thing he loathed was the fact that they were so close and they weren’t kissing.  So Sam ducked forward to close the gap.  

Except Gabriel dodged, playfully admonishing, “You’re blocking my view.”

Then drunk Sam kicked in with a, “Oh, I’m _so sorry_ about that,” while he tore down Gabriel’s collar and plastered his mouth to the man’s neck.

The graze of teeth and the suction was the first thing that made Gabriel completely lose his cool, as he cursed out, “Fuck, you _little—_ ” and he ground his erection against Sam and began doubling his pace.  He ripped off the shirt, grabbed wildly at the naked skin in front of him and raked his nails down Sam’s back.

With a groan of pleasure, Sam grabbed Gabriel’s face with both hands and brought their mouths together.  He _refused_ to go one more second without kissing the man.  This time, Gabriel went willingly.   _More_ than willingly.  He ecstatically met Sam’s tongue with his own as they grappled in a fierce, needing way, and Sam kept trying to rut upward to meet him, but Gabriel still wouldn’t let him.

What he _did_ do was shove him back to the bed.  However, this time he landed on his face.  Sam knew exactly what this meant, so he shuffled to his knees and hoped it urged Gabriel along.  The sounds from behind him were encouraging, as was the hand that reached out overtop of him to the nightstand to get the lube.

While Sam was tempted to grunt, ’Finally,’ the words never made it out of his mouth because he was too distracted by the tongue plunging inside him.  Quickly followed by two lube-slicked fingers.  He had neither the coherency nor desire to form words; he was reduced to whimpers and his body speaking for him.  Because fuck, he didn’t think Gabriel had _ever_ gotten him this worked up before.  Or drawn it out for this long.

Sam’s body was demanding release, so pent-up and teased for too long.  The third finger didn’t even register, all he could think about was Gabriel’s fingers brutally moving in and out of his ass and how much he needed it to be his cock.  So Sam sat back to meet each and every inward pump, hoping his moans would spur on the other alpha.

It worked, and after Gabriel was four fingers deep, he quickly curled them and found that bundle of nerves inside Sam that made him see stars.  If he wasn’t close before, now was a whole different story.

Sam barely managed to get out, “If you want me to cum on your cock, you better hurry.”

“So demanding.”  Gabriel’s voice was almost gleeful as he pulled out and yanked his jacket off.

But that was all.

Sam heard the zipper and the next thing he knew he felt the pressure of Gabriel’s cock against his hole.

When Gabriel slowly pushed in, the slight burn wasn’t what Sam was thinking about, it was the vulnerability of him being completely naked while Gabriel remained clothed.  The fact was solidified when he bottomed out, and Sam could feel the fabric of Gabriel’s pants against the back of his thighs.

It ripped a moan from his throat that was both from a physical and mental euphoria.  Sam couldn’t explain it if he wanted to, but everything just seemed different.  Especially when Gabriel grabbed the back of his neck to hold him down and his hips, as he slowly pulled out and just as slowly pushed back in.

Sam nodded, even though he was barely able to, to let him know this was all right.  So Gabriel wouldn’t hesitate any longer.

Just to get him back, Gabriel pitched forward and sucked a rough mark on Sam’s sensitive side as he began snapping his hips in and out.  It was almost violent, but Gabriel knew it was what Sam needed after the adrenaline and the tension of the night.  He could read the younger alpha’s scent and he was outrageously aroused.

It was feeding the beast inside Gabriel, just like Sam’s emotions had been doing to him all goddamn night and he was fucking into him like he meant it.

Hopefully he wasn’t being too rough, but right now neither of them seemed to care.

They’d egged each other on, and Sam was reduced to babbling, slamming back on Gabriel’s cock to get him deeper inside and it was a beautiful kind of filthy.  The way Sam was writhing while being fucked, because he couldn’t get enough of Gabriel’s cock.  He was trying to grab for something, and Gabriel knew he was about to blow.

So he reached out and pinned Sam’s hands to the bed, rendering him completely immobile as he punctuated his hips even more.  The way Sam locked up, and all his muscles flexed as he struggled underneath Gabriel, was breathtaking.  He came harder and louder than Gabriel had expected, filling the room with his enraptured voice.

Gabriel pulled out and sat back on his haunches, finishing himself with his hand.  He came on his clothes, but that had been half the plan for his clean up.  While he was catching his breath, he glanced up to see Sam had rolled on his back and had also cum on the jacket Gabriel left on the bed.  Which was perfect.

They could fall asleep with clean sheets tonight.

Sam also looked fucking exhausted, his chest heaving up and down, so Gabriel took it upon himself to gather their clothes and put them into the hamper, along with getting a pair of Sam’s pajama pants and doing the same for himself.

When he came back into the room, Sam was strangely silent and his scent was… _off._

Gabriel crawled into bed with concern and cupped Sam’s cheek.  “Hey, are you alright?  Was I too rough?”

“No, no.  It was good.  Hell, _great_.”  Sam shook his head and sighed while he leaned into Gabriel’s warmth, “That’s not it.”

“But there’s something.”

With a heavy exhale, his eyes kept flickering up and down before he chewed on his lip.  “Why don’t you knot me anymore?”

Gabriel smirked a little before suggesting, “And how would I have gotten out of my clothes?”

“I know that’s not why.”  Sam called out his bullshit right away.

Because that answer _was_ bullshit.

And Gabriel’s silence made that clear.

“Is it because you never wanted to in the first place?”  Sam decided to plow ahead, “Was it only because I made you during my rut?  Talk to me, Gabe.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Gabriel began softly.  “I’m just worried I’ll hurt you.  Or you’ll regret it.  And before you stop me, I get it, why you wanted it during your rut and you couldn’t control that.  But, yeah, sex is awesome and all that, but what if one day you wake up and wonder why the hell you’re an alpha and you’re taking a knot?”

Sam was watching him carefully and taking in all the information until the last part, and that’s when he narrowed his eyes.  “Do you know me _at_ fucking _all_?”

“Stop, I don’t want to fight about this!” Gabriel groaned and tried to roll to his back, but Sam wouldn’t let him.

“And what exactly are you planning on doing during your _rut_?”  Sam grabbed his shoulder and forced him to look him in the eyes.  “We decided we’d do that.   _Together_.  Do you want me to just lay there while you jerk off?  Wow.  What a _fantastic_ time.”

“Babe, we’re too drunk to be talking about this right now.  _Please_.”  Gabriel placed his hand on the side of Sam’s neck and stroked it with his thumb.  “I’m still down for that.  I just…Fuck.  I’ve never cared about anyone the way I care about you, all right?  I don’t want to fuck anything up.  I don’t even want to _risk_ fucking anything up.  Can you at least understand that?”

Sam’s posture was still rigid but his eyes softened.  It was a start.  He didn’t pull away from Gabriel, but half of that might have been because he forced the other alpha towards him in the first place.  Sam was acting out of emotion, as he had been the entire night.  Maybe the young alpha was just off his game, he didn’t know.  Maybe tonight was just a giant fucking fluke and Sam’s head wasn’t in the right place, but everything was rubbing him the wrong way even though it shouldn’t.

He needed to sleep it off.

So Sam finally grumbled, “Fine,” and rolled away.

Gabriel was still getting all those contagious hints of frustration and when Sam turned his back he didn’t know what the fuck to do.

Gabriel didn’t want a fight.  He never wanted a fight.  Tonight was a goddamn rollercoaster, and the only thing he could think to do was reach over and take one of the water bottles on his side of the bed and drain half its contents.

He wasn’t sure if Sam wanted to be left alone or he’d let himself be held.  He was so goddamn conflicted, but at least exhaustion was settling in, as well as the liquor and physical activity.  So he decided not to dwell on it and fell asleep on his back.  If Sam wanted to cuddle, he could help himself.  And if not?  He could stay right where he was.  Gabriel didn’t want to play this fucking game.

\---------------

The morning came with a giant fucking headache and blind grappling for the water bottle Gabriel knew was still at his side.  Except, instead of finding it through his reaches, it magically appeared in his hand.  

His brows furrowed and when he peeked one eye open, it was to see Sam smiling at him and teasing, “Need help?”

“Thanks…” Gabriel returned cautiously, through the cotton mouth and chugged heartily until the bottle was empty.

When he sat it back and laid down, Sam was instantly glued to his chest and clearing his throat.

“I’m embarrassed,” he finally gushed out.

Which had Gabriel pausing and carefully asking, “About what?”

He tilted his chin up and asked with a huge pair of puppy eyes, “Did I get into a fight last night?  I mean, unless I went to town on a wall or something I— _fuck_.  I drank _way_ too much.  My tolerance went to shit, did I get us kicked out?  Did everyone see?  I can’t remember.”

The admission made Gabriel unconsciously jolt upright, causing Sam to tumble downward onto his lap.  Sam looked at him with even more confusion, as Gabriel quickly muttered, “Sorry, sorry, so…what was the last thing you remember?” because he never anticipated this.

Sam was on his back, head pillowed in Gabriel’s lap as he thought long and hard about it.

Then, with a frown he admitted, “I, uh, remember giving you shit about playing beta.  Then after we took a shot with Jess at the bar it all gets fuzzy…” After a beat, he added, “I’m really sorry about that.  I was being an ass.  But speaking of, I’m also assuming we had great makeup sex?”  His words were hopeful as he stared up at the other alpha.

Gabriel reached down, counting his blessings Sam _really had_ forgotten everything that had gone to shit, and carded his hands through his boyfriend’s hair.

This was a gift.  Now, Sam didn’t have to remember Meg pulling him outside, and freaking out about having lipstick stains on his mouth.  He didn’t have to remember Gabriel trying to ditch him.  He didn’t have to remember getting into a beat-down with Gabriel’s little brother.  And even if the sex _had_ been awesome, he didn’t have to remember the fight at the end of the night.  Gabriel was lucky as fuck.

So he laughed and shook his head, “I’m a little blurry, too…” but decided to go with, “we hung out with your friends some more, even though they dipped out earlier than us.  The guy you got into a fight with was actually heckling me and you wanted to defend my honor.”

“I _didn’t_.”  Sam paled. “What was he giving you shit about?”

“He was being a smartass at the bar so I decided to one-up him in the way of smartassery.  Show him how it was done.  Then, he tried to take it outside, but before I could shut it down _you_ got _feisty_.”

Sam slapped both his hands upward to cover his face, words barely audible through his fingers.  “Holy hell.  How much did I drink?”

“We kept drinking with Jess.”  He knew the blonde would corroborate his story, as long as he gave her the heads-up.  “So.  A lot.”  Gabriel tried to pry Sam’s hands away and met his gaze with a wicked grin.  “If it makes you feel any better, you won.”

“Oh.  My.  God.  I’m _never_ drinking again.”  His face was beet red, and Gabriel couldn’t help but melt at how fucking adorable it was.

Yeah, he’d trade this night for the other make-believe one any chance he could get.

“Don’t worry.  We came home, I fixed you up and had phenomenal sex.  All better.”  He lifted Sam’s knuckles to his lips and barely brushed a kiss against them.  “Although, ya got one helluva shiner, kid.”

“ _You’ve_ got one helluva mark.”  Finally, a smirk grew on Sam’s face as he moved his hand along with Gabriel’s and brushed his fingertips along the other alpha’s neck.  “Bummed I can’t remember this part.  I’m friggin’ sore from head to toe and I have a feeling it’s mostly because of _you_ and not the fight.”

“And you would be correct, my little Hellion.”  Gabriel quirked a grin and exposed his throat as Sam continued to stroke it, and could feel the slight throb every time his finger caressed the mark.

He hadn’t been able to catch a glance of it, but from the tenderness alone it must have been something else.

Gabriel began laughing to himself, and it slowly turned into a full body laughing which resulted in Sam bouncing on his lap and his brows furrowing.

“What?”

“Nothin’,” the alpha could barely get out.  “We’re fuckin’ ridiculous.”

With a nod and gust of breath blown through his lips, Sam agreed, “Yeah.  We really are,” and then hauled Gabriel down to kiss him.  “Thanks for putting up with my drunk ass.  I love you.”

This time a wide, honest smile took over Gabriel’s features as he examined how earnest and truthful Sam was being.  And, fuck, if this wasn’t the best do-over he could have gotten, he didn’t know what was.

“I love you, too.”  Gabriel laid back down and pulled Sam to his chest, kissing his forehead, his cheek and finally his lips.  “We’ll watch our tolerances better next time, Karate Kid.”

Sam responded with a sharp nip to Gabriel’s collarbone, a huff and a bitchface Gabriel knew was there.

But Gabriel didn’t care.  He’d gotten so fucking lucky, nothing could touch him.  He was floating weightlessly in some kind of good karma he didn’t know whether or not he deserved.  He was going to hold Sam close and not let go until the alpha pried him off.  He _wouldn’t_ take this for granted.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Sam was at the food court in between classes when one of his new friends from Saturday waved at him and moseyed her way over.  She wasn’t in the law program but she was friends with Shelby and he’d gotten to know her the night they all went out.  The omega didn’t have any problem helping herself to a seat and winking at him.

“Nice mark, there, Sammy,” Pamela teased him immediately, and then commented with a bit of confusion, “The hell happened to your hand?”

It was a knee-jerk reaction that had Sam pulling it towards his body, because if there was one thing Pam lacked, it was a filter.  She reminded him of Gabriel, in a way, because she had a penchant for inappropriate jokes and saying what was on her mind.  Not to mention, up until now no one had the guts to ask him about his wrapped knuckles.

Which was good and bad at the same time.  Good because as far as he could tell, no one had witnessed the fight he’d completely blacked out on.  Bad because he hadn’t come up with a story yet.

“Uh,” he stumbled over his words and finally forced a half-grin, “drunken battle wound?   To be honest, I can’t remember.”

“Hah,” she tossed back her head, “doesn’t surprise me one bit, Saturday was a blast!  You need to keep coming out.  Although, I have to say I was disappointed to hear a hottie like you with an ass like _that_ has a boyfriend.  Until I met him and realized he’s fuckin’ hilarious, so I can’t be mad.”

Her laugh was contagious and he chuckled.  “He’d appreciate that.  Yeah, I had fun, gotta pace myself better next time.”  Then, for whatever reason he word-vomited. “If there is a next time, and Brady actually, you know, tells me you’re all hanging out.”

That caught her off guard as she folded her arms on the table and tilted her head to the side.  “Wait, he always said you were busy or said no.”

“Seriously?”  Sam raised an eyebrow and scoffed.  “Nope.  Never invited me out.  It wasn’t until Shelby blabbed about it in front of me that he was caught and was forced to ask me.”  Then the dam broke.

He leaned forward towards Pam, who had his undivided attention, and began speaking using wild gestures with his hands, something he only did when he was nervous or frustrated.  “I don’t get it, we were such good friends and as soon as the school year started, he, like, cut me out of his life.  I don’t know if it’s because I have a boyfriend and he’s intimidated by that, but he knows I always have Saturdays off!  Gabe works Saturdays, so the only reason he came out with us was because he wanted to finally meet my friends and he called in sick!  Unless I’m a total buzz-kill to be around and Brady thinks I’m going to ruin his night, I’m confused as fuck.”

“That’s really weird.”  Pamela looked just as puzzled as he felt. “It’s not like you’re an embarrassing drunk friend who tries to dance on tables; that’s _my_ job.  Plus, Gabe is awesome.  I have no idea why Brady is so butt-hurt.  Dude, do you have my number?  I’ll text you about when we’re going out—”

“I don’t want to be the pity invite.”  Sam deflated, “I just wanted to go out Saturday to prove him wrong.  To prove to everyone the bullshit he’d been saying about me being domestic and lame was just that.  I mean, _really_?”

“You’re anything but domestic and lame.  Maybe raunchy with your boy toy and happy, but you two were a fan-fuckin-tastic addition to have out with us.  Now I’m pissed off for you.”  With a heavy roll of her eyes, she huffed, “Maybe Brady wanted to be your true bromance.  Maybe he’s jealous.  Is there a problem with him and Gabe?”

Sam took a second while he chewed his lip.  “Well, maybe for a second, but they supposedly got past it.”

“Brady’s a dick.  Maybe he’s holding a grudge,” she suggested and gestured to his neck.  “After all, you got something serious and what does he have?  Sex, drugs and homework?  You came out on top.  Look at it that way.  Plus, we _all_ miss you.  I’m serious, take down my number because Brady can go screw himself.  If you’re lonely when your man’s working come party.”

“Not gonna lie,” Sam began while he pulled out his phone, “talking about this made me feel better.  I’m sorry for venting, but thanks for listening, Pamela.  I really mean it.”

“No problem, sugar,” she winked, “you ready to enter this in?”

He’d already started to add the contact and nodded, “Yep, whenever you are.”

\----------------

“Not gonna lie, I understand why you’re not coming home for Thanksgiving but the main thing I’m wondering,” Dean mischievously said on the phone while Sam was walking in between classes, “is whether or not you’re bringing your _boyfriend_ home to meet the fam.”

With a laugh and a roll of his eyes, Sam grumbled out, “So he can be threatened with guns and knives by every single overprotective member of our family?  You do realize who they are, right?”

“Comes with the territory.  Ya know, gotta vet him, since you’re moving in together.  Make sure he’s good enough for you.”

“I thought I already had your vote,” Sam reminded him quickly. “I’ve actually kinda mentioned it to him in passing, but I think he’s working.  Besides, I don’t know how Bobby would respond to me being with an alpha.  Well, a guy alpha, I should say.”

“Oh.  Bobby already knows.  I mentioned that, right?”

“What?!”  Sam froze in his tracks, completely unaware that their surly uncle knew about him and Gabriel.

“I let it slip!  I’m sorry, all right!  ’Sides, it’s not like Bobby’s gonna spread the gossip.  He barely blinked when I told him.  Not much phases him these days,” the older Winchester quickly conveyed and then added, “One’a those, ‘as long as he’s happy’ deals.”

“I hate you.  So much.  And here I was gonna ask what you were planning on doing with the extra cash I was saving you on my rent.”  Sam attempted to get away from the conversation because he could feel a blush blooming on his cheeks.

“Hookers and booze.  The usual.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“I know,” there was a grin in Dean’s voice.  “I’ll probably save it up.  Emergency fund, vacation fund, who knows.  I’ve gone so long without it, I’d probably end up spending it on dumb shit so I better save, ya know?”

“Wow.  I never thought I’d hear you be that responsible,” Sam teased him right back.  “When did you grow up?”

“Hey, I gotta do something!  Since my little brother is growing up faster than I am!  Shit, I’m expecting a ring and an adoption any day now with how in love you two fuckers seem to be.”

“Don’t count on it.”  His answer was instant, because he was in a constant state of ‘don’t get your hopes up.’

Maybe it had to do with his track record and thinking things were too good to be true.  Maybe it had to do with Gabriel playing beta in public.  Maybe it had to do with the fact that as much as he loved him, they couldn’t have those things.  Not really.

“Hey, I can see your pout all the way from Kansas.  What’s up your ass?  ’Cause I know you’re at school, so it’s not a dick.”

“Shut up.”  Sam groaned and paused outside his lecture hall to finish up the conversation.  “It’s nothing.  Just…let’s start with living together, all right?  Don’t put pressure on it.”

“Oh.  Gotcha.”  There was understanding in his words where there could have been harassment, and Sam was grateful this always seemed to be a topic Dean was supportive about.

He wasn’t that lucky on the other 99.9% of topics in his life.

“I gotta get to class, but I’ll call you soon, okay?”

“Yeah, we’ll hook up Skype or something around the table at Thanksgiving to see your ugly mug.”

“That sounds great.”  And Sam meant it.  “I miss everyone.  I’m looking forward to Christmas.”

“Don’t get sappy, get your ass to class!”

“On it.  See ya, Dean.”

“Later, Sammy.”

\----------------

It should have been any regular Wednesday night when the alpha got out of work early, made a home cooked dinner and the two were relaxing around his apartment.  Except, tonight there was a knock at the door, which had Sam looking up from his school work, that was sprawled over Gabriel’s table, and glancing at the other alpha with confusion.

A confusion Gabriel shared.

Who the hell was pounding on his door at eleven at night?

He knew for a fact, there were only a handful of people who knew where he lived.  One was already here, Zeke was working the late shift at the bar and—

Gabriel flew up to his feet from the couch, because this couldn’t be anything good.

When he looked through the peep hole, it was to a mess of brown hair since the woman was looking in the opposite direction, but he had a pretty good idea of who this was.  _Fuck_.

He opened the door, just enough, to look at Meg through the crack and say, “Wait here.”

She had something on the tip of her tongue, but he slammed it in her face before she could form words.

Gabriel walked back into the room where Sam was, and the kid immediately asked, “Who was it?”

“Eh, it’s a who _is_ it.”  Gabriel groaned and ran a hand through his face.  “Blast from the past.  Some bitch with a mess, I’m almost positive, and it’d probably be best if I talked to her alone.”

With a frown on his face, and suddenly a burst of frustration and—was that jealousy?—Sam began to collect his books and jam papers into folders.  “Oh.  I see.”

Gabriel rushed to the edge of the table and grabbed his wrist, forcing him around to look at him.  “Sam, it’s not like that.  It’s one of those chicks we were drinking with at that stupid VIP party you joined.  Did it even _remotely_ look like I was interested in any of that trash, even before you crashed the party?”

“I don’t know, Gabe.  I was drunk.”  He yanked his arm free.  “You don’t have to explain it to me.”

“Goddammit!”  Gabriel tried a different approach.  “She’s an old friend.  Looks like she needs help.  And that’s it, okay?”

“I thought you just called her trash,” Sam countered wryly and finished putting his things into his book bag.  “I’m not judging, I’m just—”

“ _Judging_.”  He cut him off, raising an eyebrow in challenge.  “Hey, I don’t know what she wants, but I’ll call you after.  This is just the shit I don’t want you to have to worry about.”

“Got it the first time.”  Then he paused and added, “So what’s gonna happen in less than a month when I don’t have an apartment to go home to?  Are you going to send me to my room?  Make me hide out there while you deal with ‘shit you don’t want me to worry about?’”

Gabriel’s jaw dropped because he didn’t have an immediate answer for that, because Sam was right.  He thought his past was done catching up with him and it wouldn’t affect his future.  Apparently, he had been dead wrong.

Sam’s bitchface was at full-power, his point being proved by Gabriel’s lack of an answer and he turned to make his escape.

“Sam.”  Gabriel easily blocked his way to the front door.  “I love you.”

The other man lost some of his steam, and huffed out, “I love you, too,” and let Gabriel press a lingering kiss to his lips.  “But seriously.  Call me tonight?”

“Promise.”

When Sam opened the door to leave, he took in the sight of the woman before him.  Her face looked familiar, just as Gabriel said.  Yet her scent was even more familiar still, almost as though he’d been around her recently but couldn‘t place _when_.  However, seeing her was confirmation she had been one of the girls at the club that night in the VIP lounge.  Although right now, she was wearing a lot more clothing than their initial meeting.  

They eyed each other for a second, before Meg had the balls to click her tongue.  “Damn, you get hotter every time I see you.  Too bad you’re into Gabe, I could show you a good time.”  And wink.

“Paws off,” Gabriel half-heartedly snapped as he waved Sam off, and waved Meg in.

She instantly crossed the room and all but collapsed onto a chair in the living room.  Gabriel was busy locking the door, so the next time he rounded into the room it was to see tears in Meg’s eyes.  Which was _not_ what he had been expecting.

“What’s going on?”  His protective instincts were flaring up, because even though his relationship with Meg was strained, he still cared about her—and what if this had something to do with his brother?

“I can’t do this anymore, Gabriel.”  She slammed a clenched fist into the arm of the chair.  “I-I can’t wake up every morning and not know where I am.  I’m sick of losing time for a high yet not being able to fuckin’ function without it.  I’m sick of being in love with your brother when we both know all he wants is sex and doesn’t care where it comes from.  I-I _can’t do this_ anymore!”

Her body was beginning to shake as the tears rolled down her face, dark rivers of mascara dripping against her gaunt features.  She looked sick.  She didn’t look as though she had eaten in days—the last he’d seen Meg she had been a glowing, vivacious and sassy omega.  Full of confidence and without an ounce of fear.  Now she was a shell of who she had been.

Gabriel had the inkling it was because of Cas and whatever the hell he was doing these days.

The alpha closed the distance between them and knelt in front of her, grabbing both her hands.  “Meg, you know I told you I’d help out with rehab.  For _both_ of you.  My offer still stands.  Babe, I know you don’t wanna hear it, but—”

“I look like shit?”  She sniffled and nodded, “Trust me, I know.  I look like a fuckin’ coke whore who’s a nosebleed away from blowing away in the wind.”  She doubled over and pressed their joined hands to her forehead.  “I can’t live like _this_ anymore.  I _can’t_ do it.”

“Hey, we’ll get you help.”  He sat up and took the frail omega into his arms, and Jesus, now he realized there was nothing to her but bones hidden underneath that oversized shirt.  “I’ve got you.  I know you’re strong, but you don’t have to wear your mask here.  I’m not gonna judge you.  I haven’t in the past, right?”

She nodded against his chest and began sobbing, in between gasps demanding, “W-why won’t your brother love me?  What’s s-so _wrong_ with me?  I’d do anyt-thing for him.”

“Because he’s a jackass.”  That answer was easy.  “And I’m not trying to be a dick, but maybe you two were both too damaged to work?  And I mean _were_.  You’re the one who wants to get better, Meg.  And you know what?  That’s when you’re going to be _too good_ for him.  You’re gonna find someone who doesn’t try to pull you down with them.”

She clung to him, hands gripping his shirt in a death-lock while he soothed her hair.  After a second, and she calmed down enough to the point she wasn’t convulsing anymore, she looked up at him.

“You’re…happy.”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”  Gabriel tried to tease her, because he didn’t want her to dwell on it.

“Never thought you’d find someone after Kali,” she admitted and had to break eye contact, because in her torn up state she had broken the cardinal rule.  “ _Shit_ , sorry.”

_No one_ said her name.

But for some reason…it didn’t hurt.  

A wound he _never_ thought would ever heal…had healed.  And that gave him the gumption to tell Meg.

“Hell, if I can come back from _that_ and be happy?  You can do it, after my fuckwad brother.  Think of it like that.  But you’ve gotta make the moves to get better.  And I think you’re gonna, and that takes bravery, girl.  A _helluva_ lot of bravery.”  He kept his voice a low whisper and her nod meant at least a little resonated.  “Good.  You’re staying here.  I don’t know what’s going on with you right now, and I don’t wanna know.  But you’re gonna take the spare bedroom and I’m cooking you a grilled cheese sandwich.  You’re gonna eat all of that before bed, and we’re going to look into programs in the morning.  Get you enrolled right away.”

“ _Why_ are you doing all this for me?” she asked in a weak voice, pulling away to meet his eyes again.  “I sold drugs to your brother, I encouraged it, I—”

“You didn’t shove them down his throat.  And from the looks of it?  He dragged you down the rabbit hole with him.  Plus, you always had his best interests in mind.”  He stood up, pulling Meg with him and directed her to the bathroom.  “I think a shower is going to make you feel better.  I’ll put some pajamas right outside the door and by then, I’ll have your dinner ready.”

As soon as they were in front of the bathroom, Meg watched him, long and hard and gushed, “Thank you.  I-I didn’t know who else to go to.  Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he winked. “No drowning yourself.  It’s, like, impossible in a shower anyway.”

“Thanks for the advice, Gabe.”

“Welcome, sweet cheeks.”

Gabriel took a turn for the kitchen and dug around to see if he had any tomato soup to add to the late-night dinner.

He wasn’t going to lie and say he wasn’t terrified of what Cas’ condition was if that’s what Meg looked like.  But he’d stay out of it.  This was his point—you could only save the ones who wanted to be saved, and thank God because the omega looked like she was one bad trip away from killing herself.

When he victoriously emerged with the tomato soup, he dumped it in a pan with some milk on the stove to let it warm up.  While he collected his grilled cheese material, he also grabbed his phone and dialed Sam’s number.

Too many rings went by, and at first he was worried he was being ignored.

Until, finally, Sam greeted, “Hey.”

“Make it home okay?”

“Obviously.  About to go to bed now.  What about you?”

“Will be in a hot sec.  Making a snack then crawling into bed.”

“Mm.  Wish I was there.”

At least Sam’s frustration had turned into something else.  Something Gabriel fully related to.

“Hey, me too, kid.”

“You should have had me wait in the bedroom, or something, if you needed privacy with that omega,” Sam said with confidence, like he’d planned out exactly what he was going to say before this call.  “You know.  As practice.”

“If only,” Gabriel sighed heavily, because this was the first time in a long time they hadn’t fallen asleep together.  “Just for full disclosure.  She’s kind of my brother’s ex and she’s kind of spending the night in the guest room.  She needed somewhere to go and I’m the only non-drug den haven she knows of.  ’Cause she wants to get out.  I’m gonna help her look up rehab places in the morning.”

There was a long silence on the phone while Gabriel was melting the butter onto the pan and it made him nervous.

“That’s either the most elaborate lie anyone’s ever come up with, or really nice.  So, uh, I hope it’s the second one,” Sam finally said, and Gabriel sighed in relief.

“As clever as I am, my brain usually taps out around ten o’clock.  So you’ve got the truth from me, babe.”

“Okay.  Well, good luck.  Call me tomorrow when everything’s handled, I guess?”

“I will.  Promise.  Sweet dreams, okay?”

“You too.”

Just as Gabriel hung up, he also heard the shower turn off and realized he made a mistake in the order of his plans.  He rushed to his room to grab the omega something to wear.

Because if there was one thing he knew about Meg it was that she would have no problem prancing around naked, demanding where the clothes were rather than waiting in the bathroom with a towel covering her.  And he had seen naked Meg one too many times for his liking, thank you very much.

\--------------

The next morning, Meg staggered out of the guest bedroom sleepily and tossed something back that was cupped in her palm.  Gabriel was sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop in front of him, and raised an eyebrow.

“Xanax and Vicodin,” she explained casually.  “I’ve tried to stay away from the hard stuff but need something because my body is going into withdrawal already.  Did you make all this for me?”

He nodded to the waffles with a side of strawberries, whipped cream and syrup, which was all out, if she wanted it.  “Girl, we need to get at least twenty more pounds back on you.  I’m tryin’ to do my part.”

She was wearing some kind of secret grin as she sat down and began digging in.  Through mouthfuls, she asked, “Whatcha doin’?”

“Finding the closest rehab center with a good rep,” he explained while clicking through links.  “I think I found one, too.”

“Guess what?”  She took a long chug of her milk, “I talked to Cas this morning.  He called me because he was all coked out and wondered where I was.  Don’t worry, I told him I was at a friend’s, but I told him what I told you last night.  That I couldn’t do it anymore.  And, hopefully it wasn’t because he was high as balls, but he said it sounded like a good plan.  Like something he should attempt, as well.”

Gabriel froze in place before slowly looking up at Meg, because this was too good to be true.  But the wide smirk on her face told him she was not bullshitting him, whatsoever.

So she continued.  “I think it has something to do with letting you down.  He misses you, Gabe,” she stabbed at another square of her waffle, “Every damn day.  I think his deer-in-headlights reaction to you at the bar was saying something.  And how he’d gladly get the shit kicked out of him for the chance to talk to you.  Jesus, that was a _nightmare_.  Nice feral alpha ya got yourself,” Meg chuckled and shook her head at the memory.  “I think Cas was waiting for a chance to fix it.  God knows he’d never choose to go to rehab by himself, but because I’m going maybe that gives him a reason.  So he’s not alone in it.”

“I hope to God you’re not fucking with me.”  Gabriel knew his voice sounded desperate, but how could he keep his emotions in check after all this time?  “Get out your phone.  Text him.  Because if he’s for real?  I’m on the website, I’m going to call and check you into the program right now.”

“Sure, boss,” Meg pulled out her cell and did as the alpha asked.  “He sounded pretty damn serious.  I’ll tell him if he is, pack a bag, because we’re going to Hell on vacation.”

“Holy fuck.”  Gabriel scrubbed a hand down his face, his heart hammering out of his chest.  “If this is for real, Meg?  I can’t thank you enough.”

“We’re returning favors.  You took in my hot mess ass last night.  Hopefully I convinced him to try.  Not to mention neither of us could even begin to pay for it.  It’s a team effort.”  Her smile was sincere, and then her phone vibrated.  After reading the message, her face lit up even brighter and she officially announced, “Book us two rooms.”

Gabriel couldn’t begin to explain the joy in his heart as he nodded and grabbed his phone and dialed the facility’s number.

Meg continued eating, her scent was laced with anxiety but a hint of hope.  Gabriel knew she had the best chance of making it through, because she wanted it.  And if anyone else had enough influence over his brother to get him there it was Meg.

Fuck.  This might actually work.

Gabriel, as their benefactor, gave all their information and payment plan to the facility, and within the hour everything was taken care of.

When he hung up, he saw Meg politely washing her dishes—this whole new side of her was something out of left field—and he had to ask, “Do you need me to drive you?  Or Cas, for that matter?”

She jerked her head to face him and asked, “You’d be willing to see him?”

“I told you when I gave you my number,” Gabriel had to remind her, apparently.  “You could reach out to me if he was dead in a ditch or actually decided to turn his life around.  This constitutes as the second, wouldn’t you say?”

Suddenly, she gushed, “You’re gonna make him so happy, Gabriel.”

“Be careful, Meg.  Your good girl is showing.”

She made a mock-horrified face and rolled her eyes.  “Gross.  Can’t have that happening.  When are they expecting us?”

“They said you could come in as soon as this afternoon.”

“I already told Cas to pack a bag.  Mind running me to my apartment so I can get my stuff together?  The sooner the better.  So neither of us thinks about it too much and backs out,”  Meg decided, putting her hands on her hips.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

\----------------

The night before Meg had been in such a panic and meltdown mode she’d taken a cab over to Gabriel’s and that’s why she needed the alpha to run her home.  When Gabriel pulled into Meg’s parking lot, he was shocked to see a familiar hunched-over figure sitting on the steps next to her door.  With a duffle bag.  

Meg’s scent shifted, almost as though she had been caught, as she cleared her throat.  “I thought it would be best if he met us here.  And maybe you guys can chat while I pack?”  She removed her seatbelt, pulled out her keys and informed him, “I won’t be long, promise.”

With a tight smile, Gabriel nodded and watched her rush off.

Cas had caught sight of Meg on the way in, so naturally his next goal was to look around the parking lot.  Gabriel shook his head and decided to bite the bullet, turning off his car and pulling out his pack of cigarettes.  He slammed the door and didn’t bother locking it—they were parked right in front—while he flicked the lighter.

Slowly, Cas stood up from where he’d been crouched on the rusty staircase and waited for his brother to come to him.  It took Gabriel a total of three puffs to reach him and then another deep breath to stand in front of him.  Neither of them spoke any words, because they had no idea what they should be saying.

Eventually, it was Cas who slowly enunciated, “I apologize for getting into an altercation with your…he has to at least be your boyfriend now, correct?”

Gabriel snorted a laugh, then corrected, “You don’t have to be sorry, you got your ass fuckin’ whooped, Cas.”

“He’s very large.  I wasn’t expecting him to defend you, when you obviously need no defense,”  he grumbled and crossed his arms, clearly a bit embarrassed about the fact that he did, indeed, lose that fight and the bruising on his face was a blatant reminder.  “I thought he knew you were a true alpha.”

“What can I say, my princess was a little tanked,” Gabriel mused aloud, flicking his ashes on the cement. “Thankfully, he doesn’t remember it.  Small miracles.”

“I’m surprised you’re still together.”  Cas’ candidness hadn’t changed a bit.  “I thought you’d either sabotage yourself with too much internal conflict or you’d lose interest.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, baby bro.”  With a hearty laugh, he shook his head and went as far as to announce, “We’re moving in together.  I love him.  Never thought I’d be able to say that again, but I do.   _Fuck_ , I do.”

“That’s wonderful.”  This time, Cas’ voice held nothing but genuine happiness for his brother and since the beginning of their conversation, this was the first time they made actual eye contact.  “You deserve it more than anyone, I want you to know that.”

Gabriel flicked his finished cig into the parking lot and turned his body to face Castiel.  “You know what else I never thought I’d be able to say?”

With a curious tilt of his head and squint of his eyes, Cas simply looked at him questioningly.

“That I’m proud of you.”  Gabriel reached out and gripped his brother’s shoulder.  “That you’re choosing to go to rehab.  God, Cas, when Meg told me it was like a part of me could _breathe again_.  Knowing that I could have _my brother_ back.  You’re gonna kick ass, all right?  You _can_ do this.”

A small smile quirked on the corner of Cas’ mouth when Gabriel said those words, and he was about to respond before they heard Meg come out from her apartment and announce, “I’m ready!  Let’s get this show on the road!”

“Yeah,” Gabriel nodded vigorously, “fuck yeah, get in the car, my soon to be ex-druggies!”  When the engine roared to life, the alpha couldn’t help but add in, “God, I _love_ how that sounds.”

\----------------

It was almost as though Gabriel was in a daze when it came to signing them in and seeing them off.  Like the entire experience was something out of a dream.  Their goodbyes were brief, and even though he was scheduled to work during the visitors days, he was always a phone call away.

For _both_ of them.

He couldn’t stress that enough.  Because at the beginning, it had been about helping Meg, but at the end somehow she had wound up helping Gabriel out, just as much, by convincing his brother.  Gabriel had hope, he had _so much_ goddamn _hope_ and if this worked out he’d be over the moon.

He was already on cloud nine all through his shift, and it was over in the blink of an eye.

Earlier that night, he’d sent a text to Sam that told him he’d be picking him up at his apartment once he was done at the club.  Which confused the other alpha.  Because why was he picking him up?  Shouldn’t Sam be catching the bus and waiting for Gabriel at his place?  Or shouldn’t Gabriel just be crashing at his?

Sam had sent him all these questions, to which Gabriel responded with a big:

_SHHHHHHHHHH_

And Sam had no response to that.

There was a knock on the door just after 9 p.m., and the young alpha was confused based on the timing alone.  And by the fact that there was a knock.

Since behind the door was Gabriel, who launched into his arms and, after a sloppy hello kiss, informed Sam, “Zeke and I worked it out so I could get out early!”

“Okay.”  He couldn’t help but smirk back, his boyfriend’s energy was contagious.  “So what’s this about you picking me up?  You realize this makes no sense, right?”

“Sure it does.”  Gabriel’s arms had traveled down his back to his rear and grabbed handfuls of his ass.  “We’re tying up loose ends.  Let’s pack up anything that needs packing, load up those boxes over there and make this shit _official_!  Tonight!”

Sam’s jaw dropped, because after the attitude he’d given Gabriel, he was expecting the other alpha to retreat and reconsider his choice to live together because of Sam’s bratty comments.  Not plow full speed ahead.

So he was stammering out, “Uh, okay.  I think the only things I need to pack are the rest of my clothes—”

“So I can take these boxes to the car?” Gabriel asked with two already stacked in his arms.

“Jesus!  You’re serious about this!  What’s gotten into you?”  Sam’s eyes were wide with something akin to exhilaration.

“Maybe _you_ in a couple hours.”  Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.  “Yay or nay on these boxes?”

“Um, yeah, those are good, so—”

“Get packing!  This is happening!  I’m getting my live-in boyfriend _tonight_!” he called out in a sing-song voice, the end of the sentence could be heard clear down the halls and (more than likely) by all the neighbors.

Sam couldn’t help but roll his eyes in fondness and walk the path to his room.  After all, they could finish this very easily if it was the two of them joining their efforts.  And if Gabriel wanted it this bad?  He’d gladly give it to him.

\--------------

The instant they unloaded the last box from Gabriel’s car into his apartment and locked up was the second Sam found himself shoved up against the nearest flat surface, which happened to be the dining room wall.  The other alpha had hauled him down and plastered their lips together in a reckless kiss and was currently pawing Sam’s shirt from where it was tucked in his jeans before it was ripped over his head.

Sam found himself lost in their abrupt make-out and realized between groping hands and Gabriel’s addictive mouth, they were very suddenly completely naked in the middle of the apartment.  He was craving the other man’s body heat since there was a chill in the room, not to mention friction between their bodies, when he finally voiced it.

“Why aren’t we in your bed?”

“ _Our_ bed,” Gabriel corrected with a possessive note in his voice as he nipped Sam’s collarbone.

“Why—” a gasp interrupted him when Gabriel teased Sam’s nipple with his teeth, “—why aren’t we in _our_ bed—”

“Good question.”  The look in Gabriel’s eyes was sinful as he reached to flick off the light switch and grabbed Sam’s hand.

Although the younger alpha was very familiar with the layout of the apartment, the speed Gabriel was using to drag him through the dark halls was making him nervous.  He had to remember Gabriel knew the apartment inside and out, so it shouldn’t have surprised him when they both landed tangled up in each other's limbs on the mattress unscathed.

The way Gabriel was worshiping his body not only had Sam rock hard, but his head floating.  There was this insatiable need for both of them to get as close as they could, to touch as much of one another as possible, and the way they were wrapped together and tumbling across the bed had them both working up a sweat in no time.

At first Sam was confused, but then once Gabriel put the word ‘ours’ out there, it finally clicked.

They belonged to each other, and it wasn’t about the material possessions—it was the fact they had joined together on another level, they’d agreed to become a unit rather than individuals.  It may be one of the closest steps alphas could get to mating.  It was a gesture that held meaning, not a business agreement or roommates splitting rent.  It was so much more.

Sam found himself hovering over Gabriel, mouthing at his shoulder while the other alpha reached down to fist both their cocks just long enough to tease and get Sam revved up.  When he pulled his hand away, Sam whimpered and rutted his hips downward against the other man’s, trying to get back some of that amazing friction.

Gabriel stopped him, trailed his finger along the entire length of Sam’s erection and whispered into his ear, “I’m gonna ride you.”

Sam pulled far enough away to make sure he’d heard him right, and was met with a smoldering fire behind Gabriel’s eyes that was all the confirmation he needed.  Sam nodded eagerly, his mouth dry when he reached for the lube and almost fumbled when grabbing it.  He was lucky for the darkness of the room, or else he was pretty damn sure his cheeks would be tinted pink.

Gabriel watched his every move with a predatory gaze as he spread his legs welcomingly.  Although Sam was becoming a little nervous under the scrutiny, he was so fucking aroused it didn’t matter.  As he coated his fingers with lube and sucked Gabriel’s earlobe, a shiver went down his spine because there was still a thrill in this.  Because it was new.  Right now, Gabe was _giving away_ that control, that he always held with a white-knuckled grip, to Sam.

He knew Gabriel would take it back—but for now, as his finger smoothly circled around Gabriel’s hole and slid in, he’d run with it.  He hummed and hooked Sam under the chin to bring their lips together as a second digit twisted past his tight rim and joined the first.  Gabriel inhaled sharply when Sam twisted his fingers in _just_ the right way and found his sweet spot in record time.

“Goddamn—” Gabriel cursed as he brushed his cheek against Sam’s, “you need to get this moving, kid.”

“Oh yeah?”  Sam tilted his head and watched the smug expression melt right off the other man’s face when he didn’t hold back sliding in a third.

So _maybe_ he’d done his research and he knew another thing about true alphas—they didn’t feel pain as much as normal alphas.  And alphas had the highest pain tolerance of all designations.  Which meant that even if he was taking his time with Gabriel, he could press some boundaries a bit.

And this particular boundary had the true alpha pushing back against his hand and leaving claw marks down Sam’s shoulder blades as he demanded, “C’mon.  Hurry it up, Sammy.”

For the first time, while Sam plunged three fingers in and out of Gabriel’s ass, he felt like he actually had one up on him.  It would have been ironic and funny, if Gabriel didn’t look so mesmerizing in that amazingly filthy, perfect way.  It had Sam’s heart beating out of his chest, and it only got worse when Gabriel ordered, “Kiss me,” and when he ducked forward, grabbed Sam’s wrist and forced that fourth finger inside him.

Sam chuckled at how demanding his alpha was, but didn’t hesitate to kiss the hell out of him and slowly work on increasing the depth and the speed of his hand between Gabriel’s legs.  Even though he was two seconds away from snapping, Sam just knew it, he had a quip just in time.

“You know, I’m not gonna hurt you, so you can stop being pushy.  I learned this from the _best_ ,” he nipped Gabriel’s bottom lip, “learned it from my boyfriend.  If you have a problem, you can take it up with him.”

There was a growl from Gabriel’s throat, and instead of putting up a fight with Sam verbally, he decided to kiss the fuck out of him.  He kissed Sam until his lips were swollen, until his tongue was sore and his jaw was aching and it felt so perfect.

When Gabriel manhandled Sam, the alpha was spontaneously staring at the ceiling instead of wanton golden eyes, so Sam knew he was prepped enough.  He _also_ knew Gabriel was going to blow if he didn’t get what he wanted, and now.

He’d already poured the lube into his palm and was stroking Sam’s length with a slippery hand, coating him in the substance.  The sheer pleasure of the hand wrapped around his neglected cock could have had him seeing stars, if Gabriel hadn’t taken that moment to straddle his hips.  Then he was completely awestruck by the sheer confidence and shameless way Gabriel pitched forward and let Sam’s erection glide between his ass cheeks, tease at the cleft of his ass before the head finally caught and—

Gabriel took his sweet time sinking down, watching Sam look at him with lust-heavy eyes and gaping mouth. The way his cock disappeared inside Gabe’s tight ass made him frantic and desperate.  Any control Sam had over the situation had _gone_ and both knew it.

Now the control belonged to Gabriel, as he took the entire length and rolled his hips against Sam’s.

The younger alpha made a choked and guttural noise because the tightness clenching around him was pure goddamn bliss all by itself, and when Gabriel began to move, it doubled.  He tried reaching out to grab Gabe’s hips, but the alpha pitched forward to pin them on the bed and ‘tsked’ him.

“I told you I was gonna ride you,” he admonished in that mischievous way, even though his voice was hoarse with longing.  “Your job is to lay back and watch.”

Sam gulped and hoped it wasn’t audible, but as soon as he nodded Gabriel released his hands with a grin.  Although, he literally had no idea what to do with them as Gabriel began slowly bobbing up and down on his cock.  Jesus—he wanted to touch him, _needed_ to touch him, but Gabe has said no.

And when he swiveled his hips and Sam began bucking and moaning, the other alpha looked so damn smug.

So seductive and captivating and stunning and _damn_ smug.

Sam wasn’t sure if he loved it or hated it, but he was arching off the bed, a slave to Gabriel’s accelerated pace and the brutality of every time he’d slam down, taking Sam deeper into his body.  It was next to impossible to ‘sit back and watch’; Gabriel could see Sam’s physical struggle and his expression ignited with delight as he almost sadistically ground down against Sam’s rapidly forming knot.

“Gabe!”  Sam yelped and thrashed at the pulse of pleasure that rolled through his body.

“Yes?” he asked innocently and wriggled his hips again.

“This is torture—” He knew he was whining.

“Nah,” Gabriel responded back, capturing Sam’s lips in a kiss before he began riding him all over again.

Because he knew once he did, Sam wouldn’t be able to form words anymore.  He’d be reduced to animalistic noises and half-words.  God, he wished Gabriel didn’t have the blockers on right now, Sam knew his own scent was off the chart.  Especially with the way Gabriel was scenting and nipping at his neck, while he arched back to take Sam’s cock, because he _refused_ to lose the scent.

It was like Gabriel was hungry for it, and he mouthed at his flesh, and it was a good thing he was there, because Sam had leaned up a bit to grab his face and mournfully admit, “Gabe, I’m close, you’ve gotta—”

“I thought you’d wanna knot me,” he quipped right back with a wink.

That’s when Sam’s heart caught in his chest, because… _really_?

“Don’t faint on me,” Gabriel ordered with a particularly rough bite to his ear, “unless you don't want to.”

“If _you_ want me to,” Sam knew his voice must have sound frenzied, because if he could describe everything he was feeling in a word, that would be it.  Frenzied.

The Cheshire-like grin was all Sam got in reply, as Gabriel regained—no, _intensified—_ his momentum, fucking himself on Sam’s cock, without warning.

This time, he let Sam’s fumbling hands splay across his back, holding on for dear life, while he felt his knot barely tug against Gabriel’s rim until it was inside him.  Each plunge downward had Sam a second closer, and he knew he wasn’t going to last long.  That was what propelled him to wrap his hand around Gabriel’s cock and return the favor.

Gabriel was startled at first, not in a bad way, because instead of batting Sam’s hand away he moaned into the touch.  Sam gave special attention to Gabriel’s knot while he still could, because Sam knew he was riding that edge.

He was so fucking close, and when Gabriel pitched forward to kiss him, the tug against his knot was a euphoria surging through his veins and he was cumming hard.

Sam kissed him with obsession and felt the hot pool of liquid between their bodies when Gabriel gasped into his mouth.  He couldn’t help but loop his arms around the alpha on top of him and hold him close, basking in the feel of being knotted together.

He never _really_ thought Gabriel would give this to him.  Although he’d said it, he thought it was only words, wishful thinking, that he’d never follow through.  But Sam should have realized Gabriel was _never_ all talk.  And when their kisses slowed down to a more languid pace, he voiced it.

“You’re amazing,” was the only thing Sam could really think to say, even though it didn’t fully express his feelings.

His brain wasn’t working quite yet.

Because Gabriel’s answer of, “I know,” meant he didn’t understand what he was telling him.

It caused Sam to chuckle and shake his head, nuzzling against the mass of hair next to his cheek.  “I’m trying to say…” he pursed his lips together, “thank you sounds dumb, doesn’t it?”

Gabriel turned his head so he could see Sam’s slightly confused face and chuckled, “I get it.  You don’t have to say anything, your scent says it all, kid.”

“Yeah?”  This made Sam raise an eyebrow. “What’s my scent telling you, exactly?”

“Lotsa warm and fuzzy things.”  He wiggled his eyebrows.  “I like ’em.  A lot.”

“Heh,” the younger alpha rolled his eyes.  “I wish I could scent you.  Know what you were thinking.  Or feeling.  I’d be pissed at myself if I hurt you because I couldn’t—”

A finger was slapped down against his lips when Gabriel cut him off.  “One, I’d letcha know.  And I wanted this.  Two, it wouldn’t be your fault and I‘d _never_ do anything to put guilt on you.   Three, this was a fun change of pace, because I totally got to completely ravish you and you have no idea how goddamn stunning you look underneath me like that.”  Gabriel then asked in a challenging voice, “Any questions?”

Sam gave him a barely-there bitchface, gesturing to the finger that was still covering his mouth and with a second-long ‘oh’ expression, Gabriel removed it.

Before he pulled his hand away, Sam took it into his own and shifted them on the bed so they were more comfortable, while answering, “No questions.  One complaint.”

“Really?”  Gabriel playfully narrowed his eyes.  “I let you knot me and you have a _complaint_?  Diva, much?”

“Don’t call me ‘stunning,’ that’s weird,” Sam grumbled, mostly because there was a slight blush on his face that Gabriel could barely make out.

“Uh, _yeah_.  You are.”  In a flash, Gabriel was wearing a devilish smirk.  “You didn’t see you when I—”

“Okay!  Whatever, we’re done here.”  He tried to bury his face in a pillow, but that left his neck wide open for Gabriel’s assault.

He flicked his tongue over the sweat-covered skin and mused, “This is where I’m supposed to say ‘we’ve gotta be more careful about marking each other,’ but that would mean me giving a flying fuck.”

Sam snorted into the pillow and had to peel himself away to stare at his boyfriend.  “Couldn’t help yourself, could ya?”

“ _We_ never can.”  He tapped lightly at his own neck where he could feel a telltale swelling and winked.  “You’re no better than me, ya know.”

“I-I-” he wasn’t sure why he was saying it, “I like it when you wear my mark.  I don’t know why I keep doing it.”  He quickly covered it up with, “It has to be an alpha thing.”

“Mm,” Gabriel hummed as he watched Sam’s nervous eyes with curiosity.  “Maybe.”

“What else could it be?” he challenged in a hushed voice.

“Nah, you’re probably right.  We get impulsive and protective.  Especially during fantastic sex.  That makes sense.”

While Gabriel said those words, that wasn’t exactly what he was thinking.  It may have been part of it, but his real response would have delved much deeper than that.  He’d rather throw that explanation out there as a reason someone could see on the surface.  But the fact was, he’d never wanted to mark anyone else he’d been with.  Not even with a small hickey.  Not even Kali. Yet, he couldn’t keep his mouth away from Sam.

He wouldn’t tell the younger alpha that, though.  Just like he wouldn’t tell him he’d never even _thought_ about being knotted before Sam.  Gabriel would keep these things to himself, because he was already in over his head.

Sam’s response of, “Guess that does make sense,” was spoken with even less conviction than Gabriel’s half-assed answer.

Maybe they both knew, they just weren’t going to say anything.

It didn’t make Sam’s sleepy, content, “Love you, Gabe,” any less meaningful or make the alpha’s grin any dimmer.

“Love you, too, kiddo.”


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG, OMG, OMG - I know it's been sooo long since I've updated this fic and I sincerely thank EVERYONE who has stuck with me even with the lack of posts! However...it's not officially off hiatus. Yet. BUT I DO have two holiday chapters as gifts to you lovely readers that I hope may hold you over in the meantime!
> 
> Rest assured, this work is as far from abandon as it gets! I've been plugging away and writing. But with Big Bang season upon us, I couldn't commit to a regular update schedule. Plus, my lovely beta [kittenbot](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kittenbot/pseuds/kittenbot) deserved some much-needed time off, as she took part in her FIRST DCBB - which is amazing and you ABSOLUTELY need to read! Check out [Kinetics](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8541010/chapters/19580812) here <3
> 
> For those of you who enjoy my Sabriel, there's much more to come in addition to this fic! My ABO BB posting date is December 22nd - and I bet you can guess who the pairing is ;)
> 
> Enjoy this chapter and the next shall be posted in a week. Love you all! xoxo

Even though neither man would admit it, they both were happy with how they fell nearly flawlessly into domesticity.  It was almost laughable, two alphas living together as a happy couple, delegating chores (Gabriel’s happened to be cooking and Sam had no problem with cleaning, as it was the bane of Gabe’s existence) and knowing each other’s schedules like the back of their hand.

It was a sneak-peak before they closed on a house.

Sam seemed to be the more active party, so Gabriel let him search on the internet and threw his two cents in whenever he was asked.  They had narrowed it down to certain neighborhoods before Sam went home for Christmas, and then they’d pick it back up as soon as he returned.

After all, Gabriel’s lease would be up at the beginning of the year and all they really cared about was that they were together, as cheesy as it sounded.

Living together twenty-four seven also brought out some interesting information on the other alpha that neither of them had known before.

For one thing, Sam had amazing hair for a reason; he went through a _ridiculous_ amount of conditioner.  He also always preferred Gabriel’s cooking to carry out, and was thoroughly spoiled by breakfast each morning and dinner when Gabe got out early enough to cook or didn’t work at all.  Sometimes on his off days, Gabriel would even make some dishes that Sam could warm up in the oven for the nights he was working late.  Sure, he didn’t have to, but Sam lit up like a goddamn Christmas tree when he did and he couldn’t deny the kid.

Sam found out that no matter what, Gabriel really was an early riser.  Even if they had late-night romps after Gabriel’s shifts and they went to bed at four in the morning, he’d still wake up naturally around seven.  Another thing that Sam almost found shocking?  Gabriel was smart.

Like, really, _really_ smart.

Initially, Sam’s only worry was about his studies.  Since his boyfriend was a distraction, he had previously used his old box of an apartment (up until now) as a homework getaway.  It turned out, he didn’t _need_ to.  One time was all it took; Sam was thinking out loud in an attempt to work through part of an assignment that was giving him trouble, and out of nowhere, Gabriel had piped up with an answer.  Which, after Sam did some digging, happened to be the _correct_ one.

Sam began doing it more often, just as a test to see just how far his boyfriend’s knowledge really went.  Sometimes he baited him with questions he’d already scribbled in the blanks with the answer.

And Gabriel, _each time_ , would casually answer him with the right solution.

At the beginning, it was just a curiosity that Sam wanted to test, but then it turned into him being incredibly impressed and finding his boyfriend even more sexy (if that were possible) than before.

Somehow, Gabriel turned into a goddamn study buddy and helped him prepare for exams.  Which was perfect, because he was still pissed off with Brady and finals were coming up right before Christmas break.  It worked out for both of them, because Gabriel filled in the open position and he seemed to be thrilled about it.

In the middle of quizzing him, Sam had to ask, “Gabe?”

“Nope, wrong answer.”  He winked, looking up from one of the flashcards.

With a heavy eye roll, Sam continued, “Did you go to school?”

“Huh?”  Gabriel tilted his head, clearly caught off guard.  “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You play dumb, but I think you’re secretly a genius.”  He shrugged and leaned forward to grab a handful of the pretzels they’d set up on the table.

“I don’t know if that was an insult or a compliment, Sasquatch,” he narrowed his eyes and tossed a pretzel that bounced off Sam’s forehead.  “Now, back to studying so you can carry on with your straight A’s.”

“We can take a break…” Sam slowly suggested.  “I’m interested.  Come on, I know we don’t talk about the past a lot, but give me something.  I wanna know.”

“About my education?  Really?  Because that’s a riveting topic?”

“Hey, intelligence is attractive.  And you’ve been holding out on me.”  He was watching Gabriel closely, trying to get a read on him even though he knew he was pushing some boundaries, so he disguised it as teasing.

Because that was something Gabriel responded to.  Playful banter and flirting.

“Meh, I’ve dabbled,” he shrugged and crossed his arms.  “Helped friends study.  Learned a bunch of shit that way. _Lived_ and learned.  Obviously, I’ve got some years on you, I’ve picked up some tidbits along the way.  Nothing to write home about.  But you’re right,” he wiggled his eyebrows, “my sexy, smart, future lawyer _is_ pretty damn attractive.”

Sam rolled his eyes when Gabriel’s foot rubbed his leg from under the table.  “Are you playing footsie with me?  I won‘t be distracted that easily, Gabe.”

He dramatically pouted, “You’re no fun.”

“Love you, too.”

“Soooo…is this a real break or were you just trying to figure out how I’m so dashing and brilliant at the same time?  I know, life isn’t fair,” Gabriel practically purred, “because break equals quickie, in my mind.  Just sayin’.”

“Let’s…finish this, first.”  Sam chuckled and shook his head.  “Then it won’t have to be a quickie.”

“I like the way you think!”  Gabriel announced, grabbing the flashcards.  “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

\----------------------

Exams were passed (with flying colors), Gabriel was on his way home from a late shift at the bar and Sam was celebrating the fact he was halfway done with his first year of law school.  He was kicked back on their couch with a beer in hand, waiting for the other alpha to arrive while he absently channel surfed.

The noise of the key unlocking the door perked him right up and had him grinning in no time.

When Gabriel turned the corner and happily noticed, “You’re still up?” he also caught sight of the beer and theatrically gasped, “Celebrating without me?”

“I’ve only had a couple.” Sam was pleasantly buzzed but not drunk as he reached out his hand to lure the other alpha closer.  “Missed you.”

He took the outstretched hand and allowed himself to be pulled onto Sam’s lap, impishly prompting, “How bad did you miss me?” while he stole the beer away and took a chug.

Sam let him have it in exchange for wrapping his arms around Gabriel’s waist.  “Enough to let you finish that.”

“Wow.  That’s desperation, right there.”  He drained the rest of the bottle and set it on the table.  “How’d everything go today?”

“Good.  Had my final exam and the rest of the results were posted online.”

“And I can tell from that goofy grin ya did good, huh?”

“Yeah, I have this hot tutor who’s been helping me out lately…” Sam smiled widely, then sharply inhaled as Gabriel rearranged himself so he was straddling Sam’s lap.

“Oh yeah?”  Gabriel leaned forward and gently kissed along the length of Sam’s neck, “I’m sure he’d be proud of you.”

The little bit of alcohol in Sam’s system apparently made him cheeky, because he had no problem stating, “He’d probably reward me, too.”

Gabriel gripped his shoulders as leverage and pulled back to look at him with complete glee.  “Really.  What kind of a reward do you usually get?”

“Depends on how gracious he’s feeling, I guess.”  He started running his hands up and down Gabriel’s thighs, raking his nails on one pass when he thoughtfully suggested, “Do you have any ideas?”

Taking advantage of the position, Gabriel arched his back to create just enough movement to feel Sam’s hardening erection against his ass.  The young alpha whimpered slightly and rolled his hips up to meet Gabriel’s.  The sight was too delicious, as was Sam’s growing scent of arousal, and it had Gabe absently licking his lips.  He cupped Sam’s cheek, waiting for their eyes to lock before he winked and hopped off.

“Gabe—!”  Sam protested and tried to follow after him, worried he’d pushed too far or said something wrong until he realized what was happening.

Instead of straddling Sam’s lap, Gabriel had sunk down to settle between his thighs on the floor and was making quick work of his jean button and zipper.  It pulled a gasp from Sam’s lungs when his already throbbing cock hit the cool air of the room, and then the hot feel of Gabriel’s tongue.

“Holy fuck,” Sam cursed out as Gabriel lapped teasingly up and down the length, Sam not knowing exactly _what_ to do because he had been joking but it already felt so good.  It had him stumbling over his words, “I was—I mean, never mind, _don’t stop_.”

Hot puffs of laughter warmed his cock and Gabriel didn’t even dignify him with a response.  After all, he was too busy licking the precum dripping down Sam’s shaft and flicking his tongue over the slit, which made Sam buck his hips up wildly.  Gabe had been anticipating it, and closed his mouth around the head of Sam’s dick, so when he arched up, he fucked all the way into his mouth.

Sam’s moan was loud enough to bounce off the walls of the living room, putting the volume of the TV to shame.  His hands naturally grappled out and tangled in Gabriel’s hair as he took him down his throat again.

But then Gabriel pulled away just far enough to suck him eagerly, and pay special attention to the knot that was rapidly forming.  And by rapidly, Sam meant _embarrassingly_ fast.

He had not been expecting this impromptu, amazing blowjob, but Gabriel had always been beyond talented with his mouth and the fact he’d been caught off guard just added to the thrill.  He was bobbing up and down, the suction coaxing his knot along, Sam was buzzing with that heady, impending pleasure rush and he knew he was done for.

Especially when he accidentally thrust upward again, and caught Gabriel nodding, encouraging him.

Sam threw caution to the wind and began his own assault, fucking Gabriel’s mouth eagerly because he was _so_ goddamn _close_.  His boyfriend took his cock down his relaxed throat, every single time, and the way he hummed his amusement completely set Sam off.  He knew it was Gabriel being mischievous, but the vibration and the way his throat then constricted around his cock…

It had his knot swelling and Gabriel sucked him off through his orgasm, swallowing down all his cum.  It was dizzying, and when Gabriel finally pulled off his dick with wet, swollen lips and lust-blown pupils, Sam felt another shiver.  He loved it when Gabriel looked at him like that.

Like he’d never wanted anyone in his life as much as he wanted Sam.

Like it was only the two of them in the universe.

It was looks like this that left Sam breathless, after an already mind-blowing orgasm, and made him wonder when he’d turned into such a goddamn sex addict.

“Was that a good reward?”  Gabriel challenged him, his voice low and breathy—hell, Sam could even scent his arousal begin to break through his blockers.

If that didn’t say something about Gabriel’s current state, he didn’t know what did.

Sam was still struggling to get a hold of himself and nodded a shaky, “God _,_ yes.”

“Would you give your tutor a reward for helping you study?”  The words were dripping desire and his eyes were hungry.

Sam could only repeat the same words again, “God, _yes,_ ” with heightened conviction before Gabriel was yanking his pants and boxers off completely and hauling him into the bedroom.

\---------------------

The first day Gabriel didn’t reach for his suppressants was a surreal moment in time.  It was a part of his daily routine and his hands worked by themselves in the bathroom when he was getting ready in the morning.  But this time he recoiled.

Because Sam and he had planned it out.

And if everything went according to this plan, he’d be getting his rut for the first time in _years_ in just around a week’s time.  A few days after Sam got back from visiting his family at home for Christmas.

After all, that’s what abruptly dropping suppressants would do.  His biology was probably pent-up as all hell right now and hopefully it wouldn’t be unbearable.  Still, Sam insisted.  Not only for his boyfriend’s health, but because he wanted to return the favor.  And, apparently, over winter break was the ideal time.

The younger alpha would be headed home for four days.  Sam would be flying back to Kansas, to see his brother Gabriel already knew as Dean, and a family he’d told Gabe all about.  A family who were closer than any blood relatives could ever be.  And then, he’d be right back home to Gabriel.  Sam would be on a staycation with no school until after New Year’s, which happened to work out perfectly.

There had been talks of whether or not Gabriel wanted to travel to Kansas with him.  However, in the end if he was taking time off for his rut, he couldn’t take off the fly days.  If he was being honest, he _was_ ready to meet Sam’s brother, but the _entire family_ was a little more daunting.  Plus, even though Sam didn’t know Gabriel was swimming in cash, he told him working Christmas Eve and Christmas would really help with a down payment on the house - since “that’s when all the lonely folks came out of the woodwork” or “those who were dreading the in-laws stopped in and got wasted.”  Which _was_ the truth.

Sam completely understood, not just the money situation but the family situation because Christmas really was a big deal and he didn’t want to make Gabriel uncomfortable.

But now the rut thing was also on his mind.

Gabriel wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t nervous as all hell.

He was actually decently terrified.

Being without control and defense for five days was overwhelming, even though he knew logically he’d be fine.

But another thing that worried him was how he’d treat Sam.

True alpha ruts were nothing to laugh at, and he hoped the other alpha knew exactly what he was getting into.  Gabriel hoped he wouldn’t completely give into his animal side, that he wouldn’t push Sam too hard, or go too far because the intensity of his rut.

When he shut the cabinet in the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror, he noticed the small love-bite barely peeking out from under the collar of his worn sleeping shirt.  It made him smile and huff a laugh.

He didn’t want to lose this.  When it came down to it, it was all about making sure he didn’t scare Sam away.  But he had to give the kid credit, he knew Sam could hold his own.  Maybe this _was_ a good thing.  Maybe he could finally be free of all the unnecessary, innate true alpha guilt and nerves and ‘babying,’ as Sam called it, for five days.  Maybe this was a blessing in disguise and he could _finally_ let himself go and pay no attention to his overactive brain worrying about what Sam could and couldn’t handle.

Gabriel cared too much, he was almost sure of it.

Yeah.  It actually was a black and white fact.  He did care too much.

Sam was a full grown (hell, overgrown), strong, no-nonsense alpha with a backbone of steel.  Not to mention _abs_ of steel, Gabriel mused.

He didn’t need to worry about him, especially when it had been Sam to bring it up in the first place.  Another part of it, was because he loved him.

When Gabriel took in his reflection one more time, he realized his grin had spread into something downright dopey.  He rolled his eyes at himself and reached for the toothbrush and toothpaste instead of the suppressants.

Currently, Sam was still snoozing away and then he was going to run him to the airport this afternoon.

But not after a good-morning blow-job and homemade breakfast.

Yep, life was good.

\-----------------

Sam’s flight back to Kansas was easy enough.  He didn’t have problems flying, like his brother did.  Another fun fact, the flight offered free Wi-Fi, so he was able to let Dean know when the plane was descending and his brother knew when to head over to the airport.  He also may have sent Gabe a stupid, sappy text message about how he wished he could have come.

Which, naturally, the other alpha had sent back a lewd comment about the double-entendre.

It made him smile.

Their morning was fantastic, and he knew it was only going to be for a few days, he _knew_ that, but it was hard to leave when they had literally just moved in together and spent every day and night in each other’s presence.  Sam was worried at first, because he’d heard horror stories from his friends who’d moved in with their significant others.  Some had said they felt smothered or they just couldn’t take the other’s quirks but…nothing like that had happened with Gabe.

If anything, things were better than ever.

Those were the thoughts Sam was left with as the airplane touched down, things he needed to brush off because he was here for Christmas—which meant he was here for his family.  And as far as he knew, Dean and Bobby were the only ones who had knowledge of his alpha boyfriend.  If Gabe had accompanied him, he would have loved for everyone to meet him but because he didn’t for some reason, Sam decided to keep their relationship under wraps.

Just in case they didn’t understand.  If Gabriel was here?  They’d get it.  But since he wasn’t, Sam didn’t want to risk any more ridicule.  Not like his family was old-fashioned, but some of the feedback he’d gotten from others made him a little gun shy.

In no time, he was off the plane and headed to the baggage claim.

Sure, he could have gotten away with just a carry-on, but all the Christmas presents he’d bought with his month of saved rent Dean allowed him to keep had to be checked.  Hell, he didn’t even own a bag big enough to check—he had to borrow one of Gabriel’s.  Which he hoped no one questioned...considering the fact that it was an obnoxious shade of lime-green he'd never consider purchasing himself.

He rolled his eyes as he grabbed it from the carousel.  At least it was easy to spot.

Another thing that was easy to spot was Dean’s gas-guzzling Impala, which was parked right on the curb when he walked out.

His brother’s eyes lit up the moment he saw him, followed by alarm and feigned disgusted when he pointed to the bag, “What the fuck is _that_?!”

“What the fuck is your _face_?”  Sam countered and enveloped Dean in a hug.  “Shut up, jerk.”

“You’re getting gayer and gayer by the day, bitch.”  There was nothing but fondness in his tone.  “Let’s get that monstrosity in the trunk!  I told Ellen I was picking you up, so next stop’s the Roadhouse!”

“I figured.”  He smiled widely as Dean swung around to the driver’s side, right around the time one of the security officer’s was headed towards them to yell ‘get a move on.’  “I’ve missed them.”

When Sam ducked down into the passenger’s seat, it felt like he was in a strange state of déjà vu.

While cruising in Dean’s Baby around Stanford had been one thing, being back in Kansas while riding shotgun was something else entirely.  They hadn’t had the money to fly him home since…well, before Karen.  With Dean paying for his rent, and Sam working summers or going to school summers, they hadn’t had the cash—flight prices were at an all-time-high during the holidays.  The last time Sam had come home for a holiday was his sophomore year of college, and it was only because Dean was driving home anyway when they were living together and he’d hitched a ride.

It’d been three years since he’d seen Ellen, Jo, Bobby or Rufus.  Damn.  Three years.

“-mmy?  You paying attention at all?”  Dean elbowed him in the side.

“What?”  Sam whipped his head around.  “Oh, sorry.  I was just…thinking.”

“I thought you were supposed to be good at that shit,” the omega teased him.  “Quit zoning out!  You better not be lovelorn over your alpha—”

“Oh, shit!  Thanks for reminding me, I was supposed to tell him I landed!”  Sam dug around in his coat until he found his phone.  “No, I was thinking about how good this was.  To be back.”

Dean glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and grinned.  “Yeah, it’s good to have you back.”

\-------------------

The second Sam walked through the Roadhouse doors was the second he had a small blonde launching herself into his arms.

“Oof!  Hi to you, too, Jo!”  Sam said as the omega had managed to haul him down enough to wrap her arms around his neck and squeeze.

When she pulled away, she was wearing a shit-eating grin and said, “What did you expect?  Don’t call, don’t write—you’re lucky I didn’t tackle you to the ground!”

“You almost did!”  He poked her in the shoulder then laughed, “It’s great to see you.”

“I know.  I’m a sight for sore eyes,” she batted her lashes and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder.  “Better get yer ass up to the bar, or Mom’ll do worse than tackle you.”

“Don’t I know it.” Sam shook his head and elbowed his brother, who was snickering, in the side.  “Shut it.”

They walked across the floor of the welcomed sight that carried a scent of _home_.  Not much had changed, Sam noticed, and it filled him with a familiar warmth only a small selection of places could.  It was still a dive bar, filled with regulars and people passing through the area.  Mostly bikers and those with a certain dangerous appearance came to the Roadhouse, because that was its appeal.  Yet, once they got to know the establishment, it always led to a sense of camaraderie and family.

No regular here, no matter how seedy or how much they resembled a knothead, truly was.  Sure, they may have been rough around the edges, but they all had good hearts.  And if some asshole was passing through town and thought he could stir up trouble?  They’d gladly show them the door.  Or Ellen would.  With her shotgun.

Speaking of Ellen—

“Damn, Sammy!  Have you gotten taller, ‘er is it just me?”  She weaved her way from behind the bar and Sam readily accepted the hug.  “Couldn’t be happier when Dean told us you were comin’ home for Christmas!”

“I was excited, too,” Sam breathed in her maternal scent, something no one had been able to replicate in all his life, eagerly.  “We’re gonna have Christmas day at Bobby’s, right?”

“Yep.”  She pulled away and crossed her arms, “Jo ’n I’ll be cookin’ up a storm, since Bobby can’t put together a casserole to save his life.  Least he’s got the room for us to gather ’round the tree.”

Sam’s eyes widened comically, “Bobby got _a tree_?!”

“More like I showed up with one,” Dean smirked with pride. “Not like he could turn me down when I hauled it straight into his house, right?”

“Hey, I helped!”  Jo protested from behind them with a tray full of drinks.  “Once Bobby finally let us in, we dug the ornaments out of his storage and decorated.  Figured a little Christmas cheer does everyone some good, right?  He hasn’t put up a tree since…” she let the thought trail off awkwardly.

“So!”  Dean clapped his hands together.  “We took it upon ourselves to help him out!  And told him hosting duty’s on him this year.  Bam!  Done and done.”

“Dude.  That’s like, Christmas assault,” Sam deadpanned, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably.  “I wish someone would have recorded that, though.”

He could just see Bobby’s shocked then offended expression as Jo and Dean went to town, taking over his house.  Bobby grumbling and bitching the entire time, stomping around, but not doing anything to stop the pair.  After all, how could you really put an end to two overgrown children getting into the Christmas spirit and redecorating your shabby living room?  The pair were a force of nature, as it was.

“He was here the other night when you were off, Joanna,” Ellen hummed at the memory, “Apparently, he was _also_ ‘cornered by some idjit carolers.’  He threatened to get his pistol if they didn’t get the hell off his lawn.”

“Oh, Bobby,”  Sam sighed, “I can’t wait to see him.”  He was being completely honest, he loved his surly uncle and missed the hell out of him.

“How about that burger?”  Dean quickly remembered after his stomach growled annoyingly loud.

“Grab whatever table y’all like,” Ellen nodded her head, “Jo’ll get that going.  Still want our House Salad with grilled chicken, Sam?”

“Yes, please!” he eagerly agreed, “that’d be awesome.”

“Round of beers, too?”  Dean brought out his own pair of puppy eyes.

“So needy!”  Jo heard the tail end of their order.  “I’ll get yer shit, sit yer asses down!”

“Aye aye!”

\--------------------

The bar was surprisingly busy, so besides introductions there wasn’t much time to catch up with Ellen and Jo.  Then again, he had the fresh memory of Gabriel telling him Christmas Eve was crazy because of all the lonely hearts out tonight.  At least the Harvelles had decided to close at eight; he knew Gabriel would be working and hustling until 2 a.m.

Sam hoped his boyfriend didn’t catch any second-hand scent buzz from said lonely hearts.  He would make sure to send him a slew of texts before bed, just in case.

It didn’t matter that Sam and Dean couldn‘t chat more with the women, since they’d be spending all day tomorrow together, and had two more days after that.  There was plenty of time.

Luckily, since Sam’s flight had arrived around four and they went straight to the Roadhouse, they’d managed to sneak out right before the dinner rush.  Then, the next stop was Bobby’s.

If Sam were honest (he didn’t want to play favorites, or anything) he was most excited to see his uncle.  Not just because it had been Bobby and Dean who’d practically raised him, but also Bobby had aided in _saving_ him from himself.  He owed the alpha so much.  He honestly owed him his life.

Since they were doing Christmas at his house tomorrow, once they arrived, Sam retrieved his rolling suitcase from the trunk to unload under the _involuntary_ Christmas tree.

He should have expected it when Bobby’s first words when Sam entered the house were, “The hell is _that_?!”

Sam did a double-take and groaned as he forgot about the lime green eyesore.

Dean happily explained in a sing-song voice, “He borrowed it from his booooyfriend.”

“Could you be any more immature?!”  The alpha snapped, and left it at the door as he approached Bobby, “Ignore him.  He’s being middle-school brat.”

Bobby easily fell into the hug and patted him on the back before he pulled away and gave him a once over.  “Yer lookin’ good, Sam.  ‘S long as you do what you need to with that piece a shit and get it outta my house as soon as friggin possible, we won’t have any problems.”

With a scoff and a burst of laughter, he nodded, “I was going to, trust me, I think it's just as ugly,” and moved back to unzip the luggage and set the presents out under the tree.

There were already multiple gifts underneath, and Sam had to admit he was impressed.  He hadn’t expected to see Jo and Dean do such a good job, but the lights were strung, ornaments hung and a shining star (although a bit crooked) was placed atop the tree.  He grinned to see _From: Bobby_ written on the carefully wrapped presents, even though the handwriting was a little hard to read.  It was still a testament to the two infecting him with the Christmas spirit.  Dean and Jo may as well have been a contagion, and Bobby a helpless bystander, perhaps even patient zero.

“He ain’t wrong,” Dean commented from where he’d collapsed onto the couch.

“What?”  Sam blinked in confusion over his shoulder.

“You really are lookin’ good.”  He crossed his legs and added, when Bobby brought out three beers, “Like, even better than last time I saw ya.  Guess that alpha really _is_ treating you right.”

“Dean,” Sam attempted to hiss quietly with a bitchface and stood up to take the offered beer from Bobby before he sat down in the arm chair.

“If yer tryin’ to keep little ol’ me outta the loop, don’t bother,” Bobby guffawed and looked Sam right in the eyes.  “Dean does a good job of keeping me in the know.  You’d think _he’s_ datin’ the alpha, from the way he gabs like a girl.”

This time, it was Dean to flush as he narrowed his eyes and snapped, “Traitor!  You said you wanted to make sure Sam was all right and I—”

“I know.”  There was a teasing glint in the old alpha’s eyes before he redirected back to Sam.  “’M happy fer you.  From what I hear, anyway.  Why didn’t you bring ‘im?”

Although a little bit of the uncomfortable feeling in Sam’s gut went away, he still shifted awkwardly in his seat and took a chug of the beer.  Liquid courage and whatnot.

“He had to work.  Makes a lot of money over the holidays and we’re looking for a house to move into on the first of the year, so it made more sense for him to stay.”  Sam was surprised neither one had an outburst about the ‘getting a house together’ topics, but he couldn’t help but add, “I knew you two would be cool meeting him.  After vetting the shit out of him at first, anyway.  But Rufus?  Maybe even Ellen?  I don’t know, it’s just hard to gauge—”

“Oh, shut it,” Bobby groaned dramatically.  “Family’s there fer you, no matter what.  You really think we’d judge you because yer with an alpha?”

“Yeah, what he said,” Dean added in from the peanut gallery.

“I’m just saying, I’ve already gotten a lot of shit over it!”  He couldn’t help but fight back. “I couldn’t handle it if I got it from _them_!”

“Heh,” the alpha chuckled a little, and shook his head.

Sam didn’t mean to get defensive, but he narrowed his eyes and challenged, “What?”

“They might not’a noticed it ‘cause of all the scents at the bar, but yer scent when you walked in here?”  Bobby leaned forward on his knees, “All kinds’a lovestruck.  You may hafta explain it quicker than you think.”

With a dropped jaw, Sam turned to Dean as though he was demanding confirmation.

The omega answered with a shrug and a casual expression, repeating his previous words, “He ain’t wrong.”

“Fuck,” Sam cursed aloud and ran a hand through his hair.

He proceeded to drain his beer, stood up and grabbed himself a fresh one.  When he returned, the two had already changed the topics and he was grateful.  Instead of premeditating what to tell the others tomorrow, Sam decided to stay in the moment with Dean and Bobby and figure out what to do later.  He wouldn’t let the time they had together slip away.

\--------------------------

Gabriel knew the bar was going to be slammed, he just had no idea it would be _this_ slammed.

He, Zeke and Hannah were running around, filling the waitress’s orders, topping off patrons’ drinks and pouring shot after shot after friggin shot, but it felt like they were never caught up.  The owner at least had the foresight to schedule all three of his best bartenders, because if this were the B-Team they’d be fucked.

Zeke and Gabriel had been paired together enough that they worked with one another _flawlessly_ , but having a third ducking and dodging around to grab the fifths and dig in the freezer was making things more complicated.  If it were a slower night, they’d be fine with Hannah, but _every time_ Gabriel needed to grab a certain liquor on her side it seemed she was _always_ in his goddamn way.

“Jesus!” he finally snapped at her. “Is this yer _first_ fuckin’ _night_ on the job, or do you just love blocking me?!”

She froze, completely stunned by his outburst, and Zeke whipped around to admonish, “Richard!  Apologize!  It’s not Hannah’s fault tonight is hectic.”

Even though there was the beginnings of a growl in his chest, being challenged by another alpha, Gabriel quickly came back to himself and muttered, “Sorry.  He’s right.  Just—I need the Triple Sec.”

She didn’t back away slowly, she downright leapt out of his path, and it was that motion that made Gabriel recognize he was being a straight-up asshole.  He’d honestly give her an apology later, but now wasn’t the time.  With his hands wrapped around the bottle, he went back to his station and mixed the three liquors he already had waiting together, and wondered why the fuck he’d lost his cool.

That’s when it hit him.

This was his first day without the suppressants.

It was entirely possible his hormones were swirling around, and the chaos of the bar was fuel to the fire.  A pretty damn good percentage of the alphas he knew (along with himself, once upon a time) felt frustration or aggression in the week leading up to their rut.  Like some freakin’ form of alpha PMS.  He’d remembered when Zeke was testy, and that was most likely the case with him, tonight.  Shit.

Gabriel couldn’t let it get the best of him—God forbid he fly off the handle with a customer.

He was usually so in control of himself, he needed to apply it to his inner turmoil right the hell _now_ , because the whole reason he was here was for the money.

Not to burn bridges.  Not to scare off his coworkers.  And certainly not to get into any fights if the hormones got to be too much.

Once he finished mixing the drinks, he allowed himself a few deep, calming breaths before he surveyed the scene.

He hadn’t been given a break yet, and, by law, he was required one.  Normally, he’d play through the pain (so to speak) but now that he took this for what it was, he needed a second.  Gabriel handed off the glasses to the waitress and stalked up to Zeke with what he hoped was a neutral expression.

“Think I can take ten, dude?”

Zeke didn’t even look at him.  He simply nodded and stated, “I think that’s a good idea,” while he went about his work.

“All right, be right back.”

Gabriel didn’t wait for anything else, he knew he’d pushed one of the other alpha’s buttons.  He needed to bow out gracefully and headed to the back room.  If there was one thing Zeke was keen on, it was respect.  And disrespecting a _woman_ was an even greater offense.  Gabriel got it, he understood, which was why he felt like an even bigger dick now that he sat down and played back the outburst.

He fished his phone out of his pocket and noticed there were a few texts from Sam.

Thank God.

Each of them managed to ease his mood and even put a smile on his face.  They were all from different parts of the day, and if he didn’t know any better he was pretty sure in the last one his moose was a little drunk.

Scratch that, his moose was _definitely_ drunk.

He could tell because Sam was being adorable and affectionate and his impeccable grammar was just barely off.  But this was good, because he had probably celebrated the reunion with his family.  When he looked at the time, he was thankful he only had another hour and a half left of this bullshit.

Without thinking, he pressed the call button and hoped he wasn’t waking the other alpha up.

Sam answered with a goofy (yup, mildly intoxicated), “Gabe!  I thought you were working!”

“I am.  _Was_.  I took a timeout,” Gabriel chuckled without much humor.  “It’s crazy here and I needed to take a knee.”

“Ah,” he acknowledged, and cleared his throat, “that busy, huh?  But you asked for it.  You’ll make lotsa money.”

“I totally did ask for it, huh?  How’s home?”  The alpha wanted to be think about something that wasn’t the club, if only for a few minutes.

“Good, great!”  There was so much cheer in Sam’s voice, damn if it didn’t make Gabriel’s mood improve exponentially.  “Got to see Ellen and Jo.  Then me and Dean went to Bobby’s and watched football and Dean thought it’d be a great idea to turn it into a drinking game.  So we’re crashing at Bobby’s.  I’m in my room I had as a kid.  Wish you were here,” then, after a beat he added, “although _I_ can’t even fit into my bed, it was from when I was in middle school.  Not sure how you’d fit into it with me.”

“Hah,” Gabriel snickered at the image of his giant squishing into what must have been a double or single.  “With me on top of you, duh.”

“Did you just wiggle your eyebrows?  I can _feel_ it,” Sam said it with buzzed conviction.

“There’s a good chance I did.  But that’s usually involuntarily, and I don’t have a mirror in front of me, so I can’t give ya a solid answer,” he quipped right back.  “Go to sleep, Sammy.  Or else Santa’s gonna skip over you when he’s delivering his presents!”

“Hah-hah.”  The words were dripping with sarcasm.  “I hope your night gets better.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“What?”  Gabriel was caught off guard by his words.

“‘Cause I’m gonna go to sleep and you’ll be my present under the tree.”  Sam started to laugh halfway through delivering the corny line, “Oh _God_ , I think I’m drunk.”

But at least that got Gabriel outright cackling, and then he couldn’t stop.

“Holy shit, you are something else, kid.”  He shook his head, trying to catch his breath.  “God, I love your dumbass.”

“Love your _fine_ ass.”

“Go to sleep, drunkie.  We’ll talk in the morning.”

“Mmk, Gabe.  Night.”

“Sweet dreams.”  He was still chuckling as he hung up.

Yes, calling Sam had been the best idea he’d had all night.  Now that he was in a better mood (a _fantastic_ mood, actually) he felt like he could head back on the floor without a problem.  He felt untouchable.  Now that his hormones were in check, there was this stupid warm and fuzzy feeling completely replacing where the irritation had been.

Even though now, he did kind of wish he’d said fuck it and gone to Kansas with Sam.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

It was a good thing Sam already had all his bags in Dean’s car, so he was able to crash at Bobby’s in a pair of pajamas and change into a comfortable Christmas morning outfit when he awoke.  Dean assured him with a drunken slur the night before; he’d passed out enough times at Bobby’s he’d had his own wardrobe collection here, too.  It worked out well—they didn’t have to worry about scrambling at Dean’s place across the city to get back to the house.

They leisurely woke up and the omega cooked the three a great breakfast before they got ready for the day.

Right around noon, there was a knock at the door.

Bobby grumbled from his arm chair where he was watching TV, “Probably those girls,” and jeered his thumb for the brothers to take care of it.

“Lazy ass,” Dean returned, playfully acting put out, but headed for the door.

When he opened it, both Jo and Ellen were balances dishes, and the latter ordered, “More in the truck.  Go ‘n grab ‘em!”

They didn’t need to be told twice as they held open the door, and quickly made their way to the backseat that was ajar.  Naturally, Dean dove towards the tins of pie, his scent lighting up with childish excitement.  Sam rolled his eyes and grabbed two more tin foil-covered dishes, while Jo passed him on the way in to grab the last of it.

As soon as everyone was inside, they could hear Ellen griping from the kitchen, “When the hell was the last time you used this oven, Singer?!  It’s a mess!”

“Sorry, bakin’ ain’t my strong suit!”  He pitched his voice over his shoulder, grousing right back at her.

“Jesus!”

Sam and Jo shared a look of amusement as they made their way into the kitchen.

“Where do you want these?” the alpha asked, gesturing to the food in his arms.

“Left one goes in the fridge, right needs to keep warm in the oven,” Ellen dramatically groaned, two seconds away from kicking the appliance.  “If I can git this piece of shit goin’.”

Sam went about depositing where the food was directed, gingerly placing the baked dish next to Ellen and quietly made his escape.

Once he was back into the living room with his brother and Bobby, he kicked back and asked, “So, when’s Rufus getting here?”

“Probably in the next half hour,” the alpha snorted and added, “Long as he doesn’t hit traffic.  Then he’s gonna huff up here, all in a tizzy, and we’re gonna have to break out the bourbon."

“Sounds about right,” Dean confirmed with a laugh.  “Not like he’s gonna text us and let us know.  God knows he hates that phone and technology more than _you_ do.  Which is sayin’ something.”

“Oh, shit.”  Sam’s eyes widened as he realized something, and quickly jumped up from his seat.  “I’ll be right back.”

The next thing either man knew, the young alpha was taking the stairs two at a time and pulling his phone from his pocket.  Bobby and Dean looked between each other with a knowing glance and rolled their eyes.

“Must be nice, being in love,” Dean snickered, quiet enough so the women didn’t hear him from the kitchen.

“Yep.  Damn boy’s head over heels.”

\---------------

Sam felt like a jerk.  It was now well into the afternoon and he’d promised to call Gabriel first thing in the morning, but being home distracted him.  Not to mention the sluggish pace he’d been moving at when he woke up.  

Still, his boyfriend greeted him with a cheery, “Merry Christmas!” and he could tell he didn’t give a shit one way or another.

“Merry Christmas, Gabe.”  A smile instantly spread across Sam’s face.  “Sorry I didn’t call earlier, I was just—”

“Hey, I ain’t mad.  You’re at home with the fam, there’s where you’re supposed to be.  Don’t worry about me.”  His voice was sincere and he added, “I had to sleep in anyway, after last night’s complete clusterfuck.  Your timing couldn’t be better, I needed at least three cups of caffeine to get my ass going today.”

“Ditto.”  Sam had been drinking coffee like water all morning, especially in light of all the characters he’d be surrounded with for the day.  He’d need to keep up with them.  “Sorry I was a little tipsy last night.”

“Sorry I wasn’t under yer Christmas tree this morning,” Gabriel countered right back.  “You’re an _adorable_ drunk.  Plus, I don’t have to worry about you ‘cause you’re with big bro.”

“It’s so funny,” Sam mused aloud, “You two have never met, but you seem to trust each other.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, it’s just crazy.  Dean’s so overprotective and, well…you are, too.”

“Hey!  Don’t make me sound like—”

“It’s a good thing,” the younger alpha assured him.  “Means you care, obviously.”  He decided to change the subject, “So what are your plans today?”

“Some TV, Chinese and back to work.  I’m a slave, I tell ya.”  Gabriel stopped a beat, before he admitted again, “Totally my fault, I know, I know.  But, trust me, last night was worth it, my bank account'll thank me.  Minus the mental damages I suffered.  Tonight should be just as good, people love to see skimpy Santas, elves plus tits.  Strange kink, but winning combo, apparently.  Not to mention our tower of Peppermint Schnapps.  Tis the season.”

“Do you dress up in one of those numbers, too?”  Sam teased back.

“Oh, totally.  You should see me in my jingle balls thong.”

“You came up with that almost _too_ quick.”

“Don’t worry, babe, my sexy bod is for you, and you alone,” Gabriel nearly cackled. “Thankfully, bartenders are off-limits when it comes to nudity.  Although I’ve got an ugly-ass Santa hat, that’s about as far as we go.”

“All right, good,” he hummed, then mused, “I’d think you’d find dressing up and themes fun.”

“Oh, trust me, I _do._  Christmas…just isn’t one of ‘em.  Don’t know why, just never has been.  Halloween is _fantastic._   Hell, Valentine’s Day I can get down with!  Jesus and the manger?  All the jokes about me having the Virgin Mary on speed-dial?”

“At least you don’t have to worry about that at the club,” Sam pointed out, with a deliberate, “ _Richard_.”

“Yeah, it’s nice.  Doesn’t mean I still didn’t get it most of my life.”  His voice was strangely neutral, and Sam knew he’d hit a sore point for both of them.

Which was the last thing he’d intended for this phone call.

“Well, like you said, Valentine’s Day is coming up.  You can cover yourself in hearts and dress up like a cupid.”  Sam quickly tried to backtrack and get the conversation on a positive note.  “Although, I guess the typical cupid outfit involves nudity too, doesn’t it?”

“You just can’t stop thinkin' about getting me naked.”  There was most definitely an impish grin in his voice.

“What can I say.  Maybe that’s my fetish.”  Then Sam challenged, “Is that a problem?”

“You won’t hear a peep outta me.”  With a pause, Gabriel’s tone turned warm and he said, “Hey, I’m glad you called.  Even though I know your fam’s probably getting there, huh?”

“Yeah, only waiting on one more.  And you know I’d call.”  He hesitated to say the next part, “Bobby and Dean both gave their unwanted opinion about how good they think I’m doing.  Uh, mostly because of you.”

“Pish-posh.  Yer doing good because you’re killin’ it in law school, you’re on the straight and narrow—well, not completely _straight_ , but details?  I’m only a small part of it.”  Gabriel was totally blowing it off, mostly because he sounded embarrassed.

“Duh.  Because of _you_.”  Sam called him out on his bullshit.  “Hell, _Bobby_ could scent it on me.  If that doesn’t tell you something, I don’t know what does.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.  Really.”  He shook his head with a laugh.  “Not quite sure what I’ll say when the others scent it.  Shoulda just kidnapped your ass.  Save me some explaining.”

Gabriel laughed along with him and admitted, “Probably could have shoved me in another checked bag.  You didn’t see the other I had—it was _zebra_ print.”

“Shut up.  Are you serious?”

“Cross my heart.  Got it from a friend, though.  The one you got was my own purchase.  Zebra isn’t quite my animal of choice.”

“Let me guess,” Sam beat him to the punch line, “yours is a moose?”

“Damn!  You reading my mind again?”

“You’re getting predictable.”

“Shit.  Well, I’ll just have to start switching it up, can’t have you getting tired of me already!  How will I drag you into our house?!”

“You better use the rest of this time to brainstorm,” Sam suggested in a fake-helpful way.  “You’ve got three days alone.  Better make it worth it, get out your pen and paper.”

“Ugh.  Three days?  That seems like forever!  I hate it,” Gabriel whined and Sam could just see the pout.

There was a knock on the door, which made Sam jolt a little before he saw Dean leaning on the frame.

“Rufus just got here,” his brother said with a shit-eating grin.  “Stop with your phone sex and get yer ass downstairs.”

“It’s not phone sex!”  Sam’s face flushed a shade of pink, while a full-out belly laugh sounded on the other side of the phone call.

Before he turned to leave, Dean snapped his fingers and pointed them into an L-like gun shape, “Tell the boy toy I said hi and he’s missing out on some fuckin’ awesome food and even better company."

With furrowed eyebrows, Sam heard in his ear that Gabriel had apparently gotten the message and responded, “Next year, I’ll grace everyone with my dashing good looks and amazing wit!”

Sam didn’t bother to repeat his boyfriend’s words, but did relay to Dean, “He says he’ll be here next year.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Dean winked, “now, wrap it up!”  He bounded out of the room and hopped down the stairs with the grace of an elephant.

With a heavy sigh, Sam groaned, “Looks like that’s my cue.”

“No problem, kiddo.”  Gabriel understood, hell, based on the clock before Sam called he wasn’t even sure he’d get a call to begin with.  “You have fun, all right?  And text me whenever.”

“I will.  Jo’s in charge of the eggnog this year, so don’t be surprised if you get more stupid messages from me.  I can’t be held accountable for my actions.”

“Ooh, I can’t wait!”  He sounded giddy. “I love your needy, adorable drunkie messages to get me through my shift.  Please and thank you.”

“I’m not needy!” Sam protested and glared at the phone, “I’m—”

“Playful and open?”  Gabriel suggested instead.  “Because it’s not _quite_ desperate, even though I wouldn’t mind in the least.  I know you‘re saving that up for when you come home…”

With a halfhearted growl, Sam could only get out, “I hate you.”

“Such a lie.  Now, go have fun with the fam, drown yourself in eggnog and text me sexy things,” he encouraged gleefully.

“Maybe I will,” Sam said defiantly, “just so you get a boner at work, to spite you.”

Gabriel purred, “I _love it_ when you fight dirty.”

“I really do have to go, or else Dean’s gonna make an announcement about what I’m doing up here.  And I’m sure it’ll be dramatic and graphic,” Sam sighed heavily, because he really didn’t want to hang up, but at the same time he wanted every second here to count.  “Merry Christmas, Gabe.  Talk soon.”

“You too!  Try and sneak me a dick pic when ya get the chance, love you!”

Sam hung up quickly before the other alpha could say anything else, because he was about to get preoccupied in a whole _different_ way.  He took in a deep breath and stood up, physically shaking himself out of the dumb, goofy happiness that chatting with Gabriel always left him in.  Maybe he should have brought blockers?  He mused over the thought of sneaking to Dean’s room and grabbing some…

No, then everyone would be even _more_ suspicious.  He could keep himself under control.  As soon as Sam was around his family, he’d be sucked into a whole other mentality and become lost in their scents and the feel of home.  Well, his second home.

He tucked his phone into his pocket and confidently exited his room, shutting the door behind him.  As he walked downstairs, the sight of everyone mingling and Dean winking pulled him into the space where he needed to be.  It was easier than he thought.

Not to mention, the smell of Ellen’s cooking was absolutely mouth-watering and filling Bobby’s home from the kitchen.  Sam knew it would be no time at all until the last of the baking was done and they’d be able to dive in.  Even though Gabriel wasn’t here, this was still exactly where he wanted to be.

\----------------------

Sam really couldn’t have called at a better time, because the conversation had taken place while Gabriel was on the road and finished when he was gathering his nerves in the parking lot.

The parking lot of the rehab center where Meg and his brother were currently enrolled.  Or, if Meg had a say, imprisoned.  But it was by her own choosing, so he didn’t feel bad.

Normally, visitor days were limited to one day a week, but since it was Christmas the hours had changed to let family in and see their loved ones on the holiday.  That had been one of the reasons Gabriel mentioned to Sam he wasn’t quite in the holiday spirit this year.  Mostly, because he was a walking, talking bag of anxiety.

He wasn’t sure if Cas knew he was coming or not, because Gabriel hadn’t decided to come until very last minute, himself.

Then he hadn’t called to tell either of them or the facility, because he didn’t want to be trapped in a corner if he had second thoughts and needed to back out.  It wasn’t like he was a coward, he was simply worried about what his reaction to seeing Cas would be.

Would his brother look better?  Would he be invested?  Would he beg Gabriel to spring him, because he couldn’t take it anymore?

There were so many things that could happen, and chatting with his boyfriend at least put him in a good head space to enter the facility.  After he spoke with Sam, he smoked a cigarette in his car, preparing just a _bit_ longer, then tossed the butt out the window.  He didn’t give a fuck about littering, even though a woman walking past shot him a dirty look.  Yeah, she could go screw herself.

He walked through the entrance easily enough, and signed in at the front desk.  The hours were extended and there were already people milling around so he slipped into the crowd with no problems.  But that was just it—there was a _huge_ crowd.  Although he looked on the website that presents were not allowed to be wrapped and must be approved by security, there were still so many families carrying armfuls of gifts to those staying at the center.

Gabriel looked around for either of his “beneficiaries,” and kept coming up empty handed.

Until he _scented_ Meg.

Which had him following his nose to a collection of tables towards the back.

He noticed her chatting up one of her friends who _he also_ knew from the pair’s old party scene before Meg noticed him.  Which was…odd.  Why the hell would someone like this be visiting her at _rehab_?  Maybe it was because she was lonely and craved the company of anyone she could get, desperate to avoid being alone on the holiday.  It’s not like he blamed her, he was feeling decently lonely, himself.  But this chick made for strange company.

As soon as Meg saw him, she froze and stood up, ignoring the woman she was speaking with and dodged around the table to hug Gabriel.  Which surprised the hell out of him.

“Well, hello to you, too!” he exclaimed into the wavy mass of brown, curly hair, which was currently all up in his mouth as he returned the hug.

“Holy shit, we didn’t think you’d come!”  She watched him with curiosity and surprise, almost as though she was seeing a ghost.  “Gabe, this is…”

“Damn, Meg,” he couldn’t believe he was saying the words, “you look good.  This is really working out for you, isn’t it?”

She huffed, but nodded.  “The first parts of withdrawal are over and that’s the part that hurts.  But, yeah.  I’m surprised I made it through.  I fought hard, _damn_ did I fight.  But…you of all people know how serious I am about this.”  She tried to bring up some of her cool bravado, but her words had that hint of gratefulness, as did her scent.

This was really working.  And, fuck, did it give him hope.

“I’m prouda ya, girl.”  He was grinning widely, and then asked, “So where’s Cas?”

“Uh,” she paused and bit her lip, “like I said, we had no idea you’d come.  He…hasn’t been doing as well as I have.  He’s actually kind of sick.”

Alarm naturally filled Gabriel, because he couldn’t stop being that protective big brother no matter how hard he tried.

“Sick?  What do you mean?”

“Sleep’s been shitty.  So he’s grouchy and lazy every day.  He doesn’t come out to play much.  His detox is…I don’t know.  It’s just been harder on him.”  She shrugged and said, “He probably wouldn’t want you to see him like this.  You know what?  Hold on.”

Gabriel watched as Meg walked back around the table and said something to the other woman.  Whatever it was, it was a clear dismissal and she stood up and gave Meg a forced hug.  It was nothing like the one she had given Gabriel—this one was awkward and a quick embrace for the sake of a goodbye.  The beta had a tight grip on her purse as she made her exit, not looking at Gabriel once.

Meg waved him to sit down with her, and the alpha quickly followed suit.

“So what was party-central doing, visiting you?” he asked suspiciously.

“Just telling me what’s going on in my territory since I flew off the radar,” she blew the question off and continued with, “If Cas was feeling better, I’d go get him.  Really, I would.  But you and I both know your thick alpha skulls.  You don’t wanna be seen when you’re weak.”

Gabriel leaned back in the chair, appraising her.  Logically, it made sense.  But back at the hospital when Cas had overdosed, he wasn’t at his best either and she had practically _begged_ him to stay and say goodbye.  Something didn’t add up.

“You sure about that?” he questioned directly and watched Meg simply nod.

“Yep.  He’s probably bundled up, nursing his intangible wounds as we speak.”  Her lips formed a thin line.  “It sucks.  Jesus, does it _suck_ , Gabe.  Maybe it’s because I wasn’t as far in it, mentally, as he was.  I knew I’d reached my limit, I knew I was fucking _wrecking_ myself and even when I tried to pull away, I couldn’t.  I knew I needed help.  I don’t think Cas even tried to get away, once.  So it’s hitting him like a bus, you know?  This is his first time going cold turkey, when I’ve already been there.  I knew what to prepare myself for.  I don’t think he had any clue what he was getting himself into and his system’s shocked as fuck.”

“I totally get it.”  Some of the tension was released from Gabriel’s shoulders and he found himself leaning on the table.  “At least you’re watching him.  And I got to see you, and know this shit’s working, ya know?  Get my money’s worth,” he included ruefully.  “You got anyone else on the list today?”

“Nah.”  She shook her head, but didn’t seem bothered in the least.  “What about you?  Any Christmas plans with your sweetheart?”

“He’s home for the holidays.  I’m working.”  Gabriel tried to keep it short and sweet, because he didn’t feel comfortable with Meg knowing about his personal business _or_ relationship.  He wanted to keep those parts of his life as separate as possible.  “So no mistletoe for moi.”

“Bummer.”  Meg could tell he was blowing her off just as she had him.  “How’s that hot piece of ass you work with these days?  Zeke, right?”

With an interested expression, Gabriel asked, “ _You_ wanna know about _Zeke_?”

“Gotta get over your brother somehow,” she cooed and suggestively licked her lips.  “So, once I’m outta here, you wanna introduce a girl to some hot alpha bartender?  I’ll need something new to play with.”

He barked out a laugh and clapped his hand down on the table, “Oh, that’s _great_!  Warning, he’s a gentleman.  Not sure he’s your type.”

“There’s a part of _every_ gentleman who likes a bad girl.”

“You are dangerous.”  Gabriel reached forward and patted her on the head.  “Although, if you’re sober, who knows?  Maybe I can hook you guys up.  As a little treat for completing a hell of a mission.”

“I knew you’d come to see things my way,” Meg winked, while batting his hand away from her.  “Sorry about Clarence, though.  I’ll let him know you came.  I’m sure the mere thought will make the little angel’s Christmas merry and bright, or whatever.”

“You’re just full of the holiday spirit, ain’t ya?”  The alpha blew a raspberry at Meg’s antics, “But, thanks.  I’ve gotta head to work, now.  It was good to see you.  Keep on keepin’ on, I guess?”

“You should be a motivational speaker.”  She looked bored.  “I’ll keep on.  Have fun at work, tell Zeke I said hi.”

Gabriel gave her a goodbye hug she accepted readily and added a cheeky, “We’ll see about that,” when he headed back out.

While he was disappointed he didn’t get the chance to see his brother, he understood Meg’s reasoning.  Gabriel hated being weak, and the thought of anyone seeing him that way was even worse.  Maybe if he could have visited Cas in his room, his brother would have been alright with it, but they both knew damn well _that_ was against the rules.  Neither alpha would be caught looking dead on their feet in front of a crowd this huge.

It simply wasn’t in the cards.

At least he had Meg to tell Cas he tried.  And he knew that it would mean a lot to his brother, which was the whole point of this visit.

\----------------------

Everyone was chatting and catching up.  Rufus hadn’t hit too much traffic so there was only a beer in his hand rather than hard liquor, grousing about how, "You guys didn't come celebrate Hanukkah with me, don't know why I gotta celebrate Christmas with you,” even though it was halfhearted at best.  Right before the feast was ready, Jo waved to get Sam’s attention and pulled him into the kitchen.  He raised an eyebrow, but followed her because you _never_ disobeyed a Harvelle woman and lived to tell.

She was mixing the gravy on the stove when she asked him, “Tell me, how’s it going in the city?”

“It’s good, why?”  Sam leaned against the counter and noticed her body language and scent was…hesitant?  Which confused him.

“You seem really, really happy out there,” she sent a deliberate look his way, “I already know you’ve got someone.  Not gonna harass you, ‘cause that’s not what I wanted to talk about.”

“Okay, thanks.”  Jo had known him since they were kids, so it was obvious she’d be able to scent any change in him—he felt lucky she wasn’t going to give him the third degree about it.  “What do you want to talk about.”

She glanced behind him for a split-second to see if anyone was in earshot before stating, “I wanna go at it.  Maybe not now, but… I’m kind of getting tired of it here.  Same faces, same thing, day after day?  I know Mom isn’t gonna let me leave until I’m ‘mature enough’ but I don’t want here to be _it_.”

That _wasn’t_ something he’d been expecting.

“Oh.”  He paused to think about it and slowly said, “It’s a good plan, I mean, if Ellen wants to wait until you’re mature enough, like you think she will.  That’s the thing about the big cities.  There’s a lot going on and sometimes if you’re not prepared, you can fall down the rabbit hole.  I think—” he nodded to not only Jo, but to himself, “I think you’d do good.  You’ve got the drive and the perseverance.  But obviously you need to wait a few years.  Where do you wanna go?”

Jo checked on the casserole in the oven, “New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, haven’t decided yet,” then shrugged.  “Someplace where I can live a little.  Meet new people, break away from what I’m doing, day in and day out.  I mean, I love everyone here, but I wanna get out while I’m still young.”

“I totally understand that.”

And Sam did.

Dean had always been a family-first kind of guy.  Sam wasn’t sure if it had to do with the fact his brother was an omega (no matter how badly he fought his nature and ignored it) but Dean was happy being surrounded by them, right here.  He loved Kansas, he loved working with Bobby everyday, eating at the Roadhouse, visiting the other bars for hook-ups—but Sam wanted to get away from it.

He’d always known he didn’t want to stay in this small town.  He always felt the pull of the city, of making something of himself, of being a big-shot lawyer—which was why he buried himself in books, so he could get away.  He saw the same spark in Jo that _he’d felt_ , Sam could scent the wanderlust in her spirit and that need for something _more_.

Sam had reached out and grabbed his future, even though there were some bumps along the way, and he couldn’t be happier.  However, he wished he had a better head on his shoulders when he’d started out.  Which was why he was so happy Jo was waiting a few years, because that maturity was what it took to survive.  It wasn’t difficult to get eaten alive somewhere new.

“How about you come and visit sometime?” Sam decided to ask, “Just for a long weekend, or something.  Or, hell, spring break.  Gotta be honest, my city isn’t huge, but it’s bigger than Lawrence.  It might be the place to scope out and see how large-scale you’re planning on going?”

“Really?!”  Her eyes nearly doubled in size with excitement while her head whipped around to Sam.  “I’d love that!”  Then, she pitched her voice lower and asked, “Does that mean I get to meet your girlfriend?”

“One-”  The alpha grabbed her chin and made deliberate eye contact with her, “She’s a he, and two?  Yes, you’ll meet him.  Since we’re living together.”

When he released her chin, her jaw dropped in shock and she spat, “Shut the fuck up!  You two are _that_ serious and—?!”

“You won’t breathe a word of it to anyone else,” Sam grinned widely.  “Or else I’ll tell your mom about your runaway plans.”  He patted her on the shoulder and nonchalantly said, “You figured out I was with someone, anyway.  Feel lucky I actually told you anything about them in the first place.”

“And he didn’t come for Christmas?”  Now that the shock had waned, she stuck her bottom lip out.  “Do you have a picture, or anything?!  C’mon, you gotta give me something!”

“Maybe—” he began with hesitation, “we can talk at the end of the night.  But I’m not making any promises.”

“ _Dude_ ,” Jo gawked openly, “I seriously cannot believe—”

“Can’t believe what?”  Ellen asked as she strolled into the kitchen.

“…Can’t believe we haven’t started whipping out the food yet!”  The blonde’s smile was forced, and her mother raised a curious eyebrow but dismissed it as she moved to the oven.

“Whattaya think I’m here for?”  She grabbed the oven mitt and Jo scurried away from her as Ellen began to pull out the dishes.

She strategically placed them along the counter on trivets, mimicking a buffet style lineup.  Jo and Sam kept sending each other looks to see if she bought that, if she heard any of the conversation, but Ellen just yapped at them to move away from the refrigerator and pulled out the salad and dressing to sit at the front of the spread.

She took the pies and placed them in the warmth of the oven for later, then looked at the young alpha and omega with a glare.

“What are you waitin’ for?”

“Huh?”

“Get them other fools and let’s get eatin’!”

“Yes, ma’am!” they responded in unison and rushed into the living room to do just that.

\----------------------

Gabriel was nearly out the door when his phone rang and he second-guessed himself when answering because it was an unknown number.  Then again, there was always the chance Sam was calling him from Bobby’s home phone, or his brother’s if he didn’t have his available, so he took the chance.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Gabriel.”

Out of all people it could have been, he hadn’t expected Cas to call.  Especially after his conversation with Meg.  He had to admit, his brother’s voice sounded worse for wear.

“Hey, Merry Christmas, bro.  You get my second-hand cheer?” he asked in the most positive voice he could muster, hoping some of it helped Cas out.

“Yes, I did.  I feel disappointed I wasn’t able to see you after you went out of your way to—”

“Stop right there,” Gabriel interrupted, “I get it.  Your fight’s a little harder.  And you’re doing it your own way.  If you need rest?  You get rest.  I got to chat up Meg, and she told me how you were doing.  I hope it gets better for you.”

“She did?”  His voice sounded confused, which threw Gabriel off his game a bit.

“Yeah.  About the withdrawals and shit-night’s sleep.”

“Oh.  Yes, of course.”  He cleared his throat, and said with a bit more conviction, “It’s been extremely difficult.  And…I’m having quite a bit of trouble relapsing with the sex addiction diagnosis.”

“Oh God,” Gabriel slapped his forehead.  “ _Please_ don’t tell me you’re fucking your way through the residential hall.”

“That, and the nurses quarters.  I don’t understand how they expect me to take it seriously if they allow me to seduce them.”  Cas sounded as though he was upset with the program itself.

Gabriel began snickering.  “I bet Meg loves that.  No wonder she was asking about one of my friends.”

“She what?  She’s been the biggest enabler.  It’s quite unfair,” he grumbled under his breath.

“Wait, you’re still banging Meg?”  Gabriel’s eyebrows raised, “Please, tell me that’s it.”

“That’s it.”  He replied too quickly.  “They don’t run as tight of a ship as I assumed.”

“ _Or_ you need to be put into isolation so it’s just you and yer goddamn hand.  Keep it in your pants!”  Gabriel complained loudly, but if that’s the only addiction Cas was still toying with, he could deal with it.  “But seriously.  How you holding up, bro?”

“Like I said, it’s difficult.  But I was extremely happy you decided to come see me.  Even though I wasn’t in the condition to see you.”  In a very small voice, he asked, “Would you consider coming to one of the visitor days in the future?”

Gabriel paused at that.

He wanted Christmas to be a one-off, a little surprise for his brother, and that was it.  The alpha was able to get away with it because Sam wasn’t here, but once he was back Sam would know his schedule.  Visitor days were in the late afternoon, after normal people’s nine to fives were finished.  He’d be in a place where he would be lying to Sam _again_ , and that’s the last thing he wanted.

“We’ll see,” Gabriel decided.  “You’re, like, a third of the way done, right?  Maybe I’ll give you a two-thirds-visit.”

“I’d like that very much.”  There was a perk of hopefulness in his voice, which Gabe immediately felt bad for...because the chances were slim to none.

“Just stick with it, all right?  I gotta get to work, but Merry Christmas, Cas.”

“Merry Christmas, Gabriel.  And thank you, again.  You’ve made me extremely happy.”

“Glad I could help out, bro.  Just…stop thinking with your knot and you’ll be in the clear, all right?”

“I shall attempt to.”  His words took on that typical-Cas mission-mode seriousness and Gabriel hoped it stuck.  “From today, forward.  Or, perhaps, my New Year’s resolution.”

“Hey, whatever works for you.”  Gabriel chuckled, “Just get it done.”

“Yes.  Have a good day at work.  Goodbye.”

Gabriel hesitated to put his phone in his pocket because of the sheer oddness of their conversation.  Something was off, but he couldn’t figure out what.  It wasn’t anything blaringly obvious, but he had a gut feeling.  Maybe he should stop in on a visitor day to see his brother.  Meg was doing remarkably well, and it could be the fact that he hadn’t been able to see Cas face to face that was causing him unease.

Whatever it was had to wait.  Because Gabriel had a Santa hat to don and a job to get to.  With the addition of mentally remembering his hormones were becoming wacky and he needed to keep himself in check.  Hopefully tonight turned out better than last.

\-----------------------

Jo’s eggnog was as strong as ever as they gathered around the living room, opening up presents.  Everyone was equally as buzzed on happy family scents as they were on the drinks, and they laughed at the mix of gag gifts and the heartfelt ones that melted your damn heart.  Dean had made it very clear Sam had to keep his ’ugly-ass suitcase’ hidden in his room and haul his presents up, one by one, once they were finished opening gifts and mingling.

Unless, he wanted Dean exposing him to the world.

To be honest?  He already felt exposed.  The way he could see Rufus and Ellen stealing glances at him when they didn’t think he was looking, meant they knew.  He was surprised they didn’t say anything.

The family had decided to go in on tickets, some new gear and other items to send Rufus and Bobby both on a getaway hunting trip.  A vacation that was a little farther away from Rufus’s old log-shack—this one had running water, electricity and a gorgeous cabin they could rent out whenever they wanted to put their tickets to use.  Bobby huffed when the word ’bromance’ was used, but his eyes were shining because he’d never been to the gorgeous location in Canada Sam had researched, printed pictures out as part of the surprise and the others vouched for, once they saw it on the website.

Dean received a record player along with vinyls of his favorite albums, which was something he’d always wanted.  He never could talk himself into purchasing one, because he was too busy making money for Sam’s rent.  His eyes were wide when he shuffled through all the albums, cheering as classic after classic rolled off his tongue, and shouted out with conviction, “No iPod bullshit can touch this!”

Although Ellen was in on it, Jo was shocked to be handed a set of keys to a car Bobby and Dean had been restoring for her all year long.  It had been her dad’s old car, which had been sitting and rusting in the salvage yard for almost a decade.  Jo grew up in that car, and it was her father‘s pride and joy before he passed away.  It _meant_ something and she got a little dewy-eyed when she ran outside to see it.  Sam had contributed a new radio and speaker system, and Ellen had given her a free gas card for a year.

Both Sam and Ellen were given the most random gifts, while the others all had a theme.  Ellen received a collection of cookware for the home, a membership to a shooting range, and the strangest present of all was a spa gift card from Bobby.  He defended that women liked pedicures and he’d “heard” it was the best treat people didn’t think to get themselves.  Dean _knew_ damn well it was because Bobby had some frequent-flyer miles at the Salon and Spa where the gift card was from.

Sam was more than happy with his new flannels, jogging shoes, and an amazing professional jacket from the Harvelles that must have cost a fortune, but he’d need it for “when he was a bigshot, famous lawyer.”  The gift that had eyebrows raising was Dean’s massive gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond.

“You movin’ again, Sam?”  Ellen sounded confused, “I thought that apartment was right up on campus.”

“You’ve gotten rid’a that damn couch, right, boy?”  Bobby asked, having to spend the night on it once, but little did he know that was long gone.

“Yeah,” Sam narrowed a glare at Dean, who actually looked awkward and equally caught off-guard, _clearly_ having forgotten they were all opening their presents _together_.  “This will help with the move.  Thank you, Dean.”

“N-no prob, Sammy.”

“Ya movin’ closer to campus?  Won’t that be even _more_ expensive for yer brother?”  Rufus asked in bafflement, because his filter was gone now that he’d switched over to liquor.

The Winchesters were locked in a staring match, and Dean had nothing but apology written all over his face.

“Dean’s not paying my rent anymore,” Sam said steadily, the eggnog spurring him on.  “I’m actually living with someone.  And we’re getting a house together.”

“Wait.”  Ellen did a double-take.  “Ain’t no roommate gonna let you git away without payin’ rent, you tellin’ us—?”

“I’m in a relationship,” Sam finally blurted, cursing his brother being an unthinking dick and—

“Before _anyone_ gets huffy, I’ve met him, hung out with the two‘a them.  He’s an awesome dude.”  Dean perked up with the lie and addressed the room.  “He’s been Winchester-vetted, and got the seal of approval.  Not to mention how friggin gaga Sammy is over him.  So nobody's got anything to worry about!”

The alpha squinted at his brother in confusion.

Dean kept on going, “Sammy didn’t wanna mention him because they were both really, really bummed out he couldn’t get Christmas off to come meet everyone.  Boss is a nightmare and wouldn’t give him the time off.  Plus, he needed to work for the down-payment on their house.”  The omega shrugged with all the nonchalance in the world, “Sam just wanted to be with his family and not have to talk about how shitty it was things didn’t work out.  ‘Cause he was really excited to bring him here and introduce him.”

“Y-yeah.”  Sam finally realized what was going on.  “There’s all that.  I just didn‘t want it to come up because I want him here, and he‘s…not.”  Without hesitation, he whipped out his puppy eyes and looked around the room.

“Aw, I’m sorry, hun,” Ellen’s heart instantly melted.  “I’m happy for you!  Too bad he couldn’t make it, next time?”

“He promised next year,” Sam confirmed, and hoped that was the end of it.

Rufus just continued to look confused, and under his breath muttered, “Huh,” before he suggested, “Let’s all get refills!” with enthusiasm.

With a sigh of relief and half the group heading to the kitchen, Sam watched his brother approach him with caution.

Dean gripped Sam’s shoulder and gushed, “Dude, I am _so_ sorry.  I had no idea what that would look like and—”

“You fixed it.”  Sam raised an eyebrow.  “Good to know you two are besties.  I’m sure he’ll _love it_ when he finds out.”

“Oh, fuck.  Don’t sic your alpha on me, Sam.  I told ya, I was trying to clean up my own damn mess.”  Dean scrubbed a hand down his face then slapped himself in the forehead.  “Whatever—”

“Who wants to do Peppermint Schnapps shots?!” Jo cheered from the kitchen.

Dean’s scent turned to excitement and grabbed Sam’s bicep, announcing, “I gotta drown my impending _embarrassment_ , and you gotta drown any impending _harassment_.”

“No shit.”  Sam rolled his eyes, but to be honest…he was wearing a grin.  

Because all he could think about was his previous conversation with Gabriel about Peppermint Schnapps and a ‘jingle ball thong.’

\--------------------

By the time things calmed down and Ellen was sober enough to drive home, Rufus had crashed on the couch, Dean and Sam retired to their respective rooms and the time was rounding on two in the morning.  Bobby was already asleep, but it made sense for the rest of them, keeping those types of hours came with working at the Roadhouse—or in Rufus’ case, being a grumpy old barfly.  Sam was used to waiting up for Gabriel, so they kept the party going much longer than anyone else’s normal Christmas.

They had made plans to visit on Sam’s remaining days in Kansas, and Dean swore up and down they’d eventually make it back to his apartment.  After all, their childhood rooms were tight quarters and Dean’s apartment had a nice, honest-to-goodness guest room.

Sam was still in the giddy, drunken haze and kept glancing at the time, wondering whether or not Gabriel was done with work.  So he texted him to call him when he was.

Either he’d still be awake or passed out, cold, but he was willing to make a bet he’d still be up.

The way Dean had covered his ass about being in a relationship left little room for anyone to really ask him about it.  It painted the picture of Sam being heartbroken he couldn’t introduce Gabriel to the family, and it wasn’t a topic they decided to breech.  Although Ellen had continually made small comments like, “Knew somethin’ was different,” or continue to say, “Happy for ya, Sam” but that was the extent of their conversation.

Jo was a different story.

She promised not to bring it up on Christmas, because it was considered a safe-zone but they’d already planned a dinner date.  The omega was going to pick his brain about moving, what she’d need to do in preparation and she planned on getting the full scoop about this mystery man.

Sam was amused by the thought, because for as small and dainty Jo appeared, the omega packed quite the punch, and if anyone could get all the details, it was her.  And she wouldn’t shy away from scandalous topics like Dean would.  She’d already dubbed their time together as “a date with her new gay BFF,” and said “she didn’t feel as bad about Sam rejecting her crush as a child,” now knowing he was apparently a “flaming homosexual.”  He most definitely _wasn’t—_ he just so happened to be Gabe-sexual, which was worlds different.  Or at least, that’s what Sam thought.  He’d never been attracted to men before Gabriel, if Ruby and Madison were examples of his past type, let alone an alpha.  Gabriel just happened to be an anomaly and, quite frankly, perfect for him.

Sam’s phone ringing on his chest jerked him out of his thoughts, and he grinned down to see it was the man in question.

“Hi,” he answered, and even to his own ears, the word sounded slurred.

“Gotta tell ya, kiddo.  Those were the _best_ slew of drunk texts I’ve gotten from ya in awhile,” Sam could hear the rustle of fabric, which told him Gabe was just now leaving and wasted no time calling him.  “Probably the only thing that saved me from myself this shift, too.”

“I’m telling ya, should’ve come with me,” Sam teased in a sing-song voice.

“So we could have done festive body shots and fucked under a bushel of mistletoe?”  Gabriel quoted the content of the texts back to him.  “Does mistletoe even come in bushels?”

“Hell if I know.  I was just thinking the more there is, the more action happens.”

“Don’t tempt me.  When you get home we may have a newly redesigned ceiling,” he countered.  “Damn you, being sexy and so far away.”

“Mm, it sucks.  When I’d rather be sucking you.”

“ _Woah_.”  Gabriel’s voice was elated, “What’s gotten into you?  ‘Cause I wish it was me, you little tramp.”

“I don’t know, I’m just thinking about you a lot and normally I’m sad because I miss you but right now I’m just really horny.”  Sam casually shrugged, even though Gabriel couldn’t see it.  “I’ve concluded it’s because we have such an active sex life and I’m starting to feel the negative effects.  Or maybe it’s because I haven’t been able to fall asleep next to you.”

“So is it the sex or the cuddling you miss, because I’m getting some serious mixed signals about whether I should be talking dirty or being sappy.”  There was a car door slamming on Gabriel’s end of the line.  “I’m totally up for either, just an FYI.”

“Both.  All of the above.  Shit, I’m drunk.  And you’re right…” Sam drew out the admission with a certain amount of shame and finally confessing, “I _am_ needy.”

“I told you!” Gabriel cheered victoriously.  “Not a bad thing.  I’m needy, too.  You just beat me to the punch because yours has been spiked.  I’m not allowed to drink on the job when it’s so hectic, so there’s that.”

“You’re not allowed to drink on the job unless you’re wearing my mark and you’ve got me to come home to,” he said petulantly, “I’ve seen how everyone looks at you, and you’re not allowed to drop your guard if—”

“Oo, _there’s_ my possessive alpha,” Gabriel cooed and asked innocently, “Why didn’t you mark me before you left, then?”

“I should have,” Sam stated immediately, then wondered aloud, “That’s a good question.  I dunno.  Maybe so you could make more tips and people wouldn’t be worried about flirting?”

“So you’re a-okay with flirting for tips, but not me drinking unless you’re there?  Interesting logic, Winchester.”

“This is your money weekend.”  Sam knew his face was scrunched into a pout.  “I thought I was…helping.”

“Whenever you wanna mark me, you can have at it,” Gabriel said, as though those words didn’t go straight to Sam’s cock.  “Everyone at the bar’s seen it a million times, and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest.”

“ _Any time,_ huh?” he repeated back, then confidently continued, “You _like_ it when I mark you.  Especially when I surprise you, because you think it’s hot when I turn the tables and get protective over you.  I want everyone to know you’re mine.  I like to remind you you’re mine.”

There was a pause over the phone line that made Sam smirk, and wish so friggin bad he could see Gabriel face.  Not to mention the reason for the pause.

Finally, the other alpha spoke up, his voice pitched deeper, “You have no idea what the hell you do to me, do you?”

“You could tell me,” he suggested with a secret smile.

“Currently, I’m trying to haul my ass home so I can rip off my goddamn pants, since my dick is about to bust through ‘em.  So that‘s a thing,” Gabriel groaned and huffed in frustration.

“I wish I could help out with that.  But I wouldn’t wait until we were home.  I’d probably unzip your pants while you’re driving and start jacking you off, right then.  Hell, I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth away.  You’d be down my throat the second you were out of your jeans,” Sam closed his eyes and licked his lips, imagining every second.  “I wonder how long it’d take to make you knot my mouth in traffic…”

“I swear to God, you need to lay off until I get home or else—”

“Or else what?”  Sam was wearing a grin and enjoyed every moment of Gabriel’s flustered tone.  “ _I_ haven’t touched myself yet, I thought _you_ were the one who had more control.”

The sound of deep breaths caused a static to pour through the line, Gabriel refused to respond to his boyfriend’s taunts and concentrated on the road.  Or at least that’s what Sam thought was going on.  He was two seconds away from moping, before Gabriel spoke up again.

“Why aren’t you touching yourself?  I thought you said you were horny.  Too afraid you’re going to get caught jerking off, or do you need me to make you cum?”

Sam swallowed back the small whimper and felt the shiver that shot down his spine.  “I don’t need you, but I want you.”  He was all showy boldness, because he knew it would challenge Gabriel.

“I beg to differ.”  It worked.  “Telling me how you want to mark me up?  How much you miss me and it’s only been two days?  How bad you want to suck my cock?  I’d say you _need_ me.”

“And if I do?”  Sam shifted under the covers and worked his boxers down his thighs.  “What are you going to do about it?”

His excitement grew as he heard the car door slam again, quickly followed by the jingle of keys.  He knew Gabriel had arrived home, and it was just a matter of time until the alpha was focused on him, and him alone.

It was obvious Gabriel had run from his voice when he answered, “Not much I can do about it from here.”  Which was an answer drunk Sam decidedly did _not_ like, but the other alpha capped it off with, “But there’s plenty you can do _for_ me.”

“Like what?”  Sam was intrigued and painfully hard, deliberately making the choice not to touch himself until Gabriel said to.

“What are you wearing, Sammy?”

“Heh,” the intoxication kicked in and he blurted, “I thought you’d be more creative with an opener.”

“I asked you a question.”  There was a sliver of true alpha in his voice that caused a surge—no—a goddamn _tidal wave_ of excitement wash over Sam, and he was caught in the undertow.

“N-nothing, I’ve already taken my boxers off.”

“So you’re a fucking feast, laying out for me, and I can’t even taste you?”  His voice was wrecked with lust imaging it.  “At least I don’t have to go through the painful process of undressing you.  You really are my little slut, Sammy.”

“Tell me what to do.”  There was an aggression behind Sam’s words.  “I’ve been good.  I’ve been waiting for you to get out of work and make this fun, but if you keep teasing I’m—”

“Spread your legs,” Gabriel ordered in a low growl.  “Spread your legs wide enough so I could settle between them and eat you out until you’re screaming for more.”  When the breath hitched in the younger alpha’s throat, he continued playfully, “Are you wide open for me, alpha?”

“Y-yeah.”  And Sam was.

It wasn’t because of his true alpha voice, Gabriel had dropped it after the first order.  Sam loved challenging the other to the point of breaking, and he thought he’d done a damn good job.

“Now, suck on two of your fingers, get ‘em nice and wet,” his voice was coaxing, like warm honey in a new, sensual way that lured Sam to follow his every whim.  “Sloppy and dripping wet, perfect.  I can hear it,” he purred and prompted, “If those fingers were mine, where would you want them?”

It wasn’t even a question.

“Inside me,” Sam groaned into the receiver.  “Do you want me to finger myself, Gabe?”

“Just with those two,” Gabriel confirmed appreciatively, then he admonished, “No more.  That’s all you get.  Because I want you to be tight for me when you come home.”

Sam listened to the timbre and perfect seduction that was Gabriel’s voice as he reached between his legs and slipped a spit-slick finger inside.  His alcohol-tainted mind had no problem putting together the images of Gabriel fingering him, especially while the man whispered the perfect dirty words to him.

When Sam pushed in the second he groaned quietly, because even though the angle was awkward, the thought of the other alpha inside him made it worth it.

“Slowly fuck yourself on your finger, Sam,” Gabriel instructed, and Sam knew for a fact he heard a zipper.

As he followed the directions, the true alpha asked conversationally, “Do you know what happens when you get back?”

Sam whimpered, maybe a little too loudly, when he grazed his prostate and moaned back, “I get your cock instead of my fingers?”

“Mm, you found your sweet spot, huh?  Pick up the pace.  Make yourself feel good, touch it over and over,” Gabriel’s true alpha voice was scratching under the surface, and while Sam thought Gabriel’s lack of control was odd, it was _ridiculously_ hot at the same time.  “Fuck your hole raw on your fingers, babe.  Want you to feel good—”

He writhed and couldn’t help but follow the command, no matter how much his wrist was cramping up, but Sam had to know. “W-what happens when I get back?”

Gabriel didn’t hesitate, “You asked for my rut, I’m giving it to you.  I’m gonna fuck you over and over.  I’m gonna knot you over and over.  You’ll be so full of cum, you won’t know which way is up.  You’re not leaving my sight _or_ our bed for a goddamn week.”

“ _Holy_ —” Sam folded in on himself as an orgasm ripped through his body and he had just enough foresight to grab the pair of boxers to cover his swollen knot.

The words, the order, but more than anything, the _promise._  Sam’s entire body was shaking, his mind was floating and he was pretty sure he just jizzed out most of his brain.

He could hear Gabriel cursing on the other line, and he listened closely to the amazing sounds.  He’d never get tired of hearing his boyfriend get off.  Not to mention, only hearing it was a _completely_ different experience.  It made Sam shudder and his imagination run wild.

Where had all that came from?  Jesus, he knew Gabriel had a mouth on him, but he hadn’t expected him to—

Maybe he should have.

“Fuckin’ hell, Gabe,” he groaned into the phone.  “That was… awesome.”

“Fuck yeah, it was,” the other alpha sleepily responded.  “Ugh, the things you do to me!”

“You have no idea.  I want to get on a plane right now, after _that_ conversation,” Sam quipped with a dopey grin.  “I’m not even joking, really.”

“Only two more days, babe,” Gabriel reminded and his voice was sweet and tender once again.  “Mm, I’m spent.  You gonna be able to sleep okay?  Without my amazing cuddles?”

“I’ll manage.  Doubt I’ll be able to get you outta my head anytime soon.”  He scoffed and tossed the mess of his boxers over to his duffle bag.

“Perf.  That’s the way I wanted it.  My diabolical plan worked!”  Gabriel didn’t have enough steam for the dramatic effect he was going for, but Sam got the point he was trying to make.

“Hey, I’m about to pass out.  I love you so much, Gabe.”  Sam’s voice was getting more garbled by the second.

“Love you, too.  Sweet dreams, hopefully it’s fulla of bushels of mistletoe at _my_ North Pole!”

“Stop that.”

“Never letting you live that one down."


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND WE ARE BACK!!
> 
> Yes! The hiatus is officially over! This is not another random Christmas chapter like I threw in last year, _this is the real deal!_
> 
> My babe [whataboutthefish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_about_the_fish/pseuds/what_about_the_fish/works) has taken up the job of beta reading this puppy and we're back in business from this moment until (as far as I'm concerned) the very end! We've still got a lot of story to tell, and many, many more happens before the inevitable. Even after that, this fic will continue to be told until it links right up with the beginning of Three Things.
> 
> I want to thank every single reader for their patience during the wait AND greet all the newcomers who are joining us for the next round of all the drama, smut and feels of this Sabriel fic. I hope everyone has a good time! I know I've been thrilled from the moment Fishie and I began chatting about the relaunch, and it's finally happening!
> 
> More tags will appear as the fic continues, and like I said: there is _a lot_ more fic. Something that consistently comes up in comments are those worried about when 'it' happens. Please, don't live in fear haha read for pleasure and all that happens in the 'now.' I've got eighteen new chapters written and it's not finished yet, so push those worries aside and enjoy  <3 ...for the time being :)
> 
> Thank you again for hanging in there with me and I truly hope it was worth the wait. I am beyond thrilled to be posting! xoxo

Although Sam expected there to be drinking when he came back home to Kansas, he didn’t expect to get drunk enough to have a _hangover_.  Or to have phone sex with his boyfriend, with half his family in the the same house.  Apparently—he was a class-act.

When he woke up, his head was aching and as he packed his bag he covered the cum-stained boxers with cologne and zipped them up tight in a somewhat hidden pocket inside the suitcase.  All his personal belongings were in his duffle bag, and his own Christmas presents replaced those he gifted in the lime-green luggage.  While he felt bad about hiding the clothing article beside them, he couldn’t exactly stow something that smelled like jizz in with the clean clothes he had yet to wear for the rest of his vacation.

At least there had been a separate section inside the suitcase that could be quarantined with the slide of a zipper.  God, he was embarrassed.  Sam was a little blurry on the details, currently a lightweight and no match for Jo’s Eggnog, he hoped he hadn’t said anything stupid to Gabriel.  There was a ‘happy ending,’ so that had to be a positive thing, right?

If only for damage control, Sam sent Gabriel the text:

_Sam 10:02AM  
_ _You’re a terrible influence_

Hopefully, that was vague enough and if he missed anything life-changing in the hangover fog Gabe would remind him of it.  Hell, Gabriel would do it with delight.

After some coffee and Motrin, Sam and Dean were finally headed back to his brother’s apartment.

When Dean opened the door, he laughed out, “Knew we’d make it eventually.  Just took a couple days, right?”

“Right.”  Sam shook his head with a chuckle, “Seriously, how is it you manage to rope me into two nights of drinking in a row?  I’m only starting to feel like a human again now.”

“Welcome to Kansas, Sammy.  Home state of functioning alcoholics,” he joked and jeered his thumb down the hallway.  “You wanna put yer stuff in your room and take a shower?  I’ll even let you have the first one.  Poor baby.”

“You suck.  But I’ll gladly take a shower.”  Sam headed towards the guest room, then ordered, “Make more coffee.  Yours is always better.”

“The best!”  Dean corrected, because it was true—the crap Bobby had was just there for efficiency and that was _it_.

Sam entered the room and made himself comfortable.  He set out his clothing for the next two days into the set of drawers, then he grabbed his bag of toiletries.  When his phone vibrated in his pocket, there was a hint of nervousness that zinged through his body.  He had to face the music some time, may as well get it over with.

It was from Gabriel, and the message made him blush.

_Gabriel 12:17PM  
_ _U started it!!! god u were so hot need more drunk horny slutty u in my life_

Sam wasn’t even sure he could reply to that.  Once he was alert and awake, the conversation and everything that happened came back to him.  All the things he had told Gabriel.  All the promises Gabriel had made for when he returned.  Sam could see that the other alpha was still typing, which may or may not be a good thing because Sam didn’t have an answer for the text in front of him.  Only a boatload of embarrassment.

_Gabriel 12:18PM  
_ _real question is was it bc u were drunk or bc u miss me??_

All right, that was something Sam could work with.  He sat back on the bed and wrote:

_Sam 12:20PM  
_ _Probably a mix of both_

_Gabriel 12:22PM  
_ _fair enough_

With a slight frown, Sam stared down at the screen.  Was Gabriel expecting more?  Should he elaborate?  Should he call him?  Sam wasn’t exactly sure what he was supposed to do, because Gabriel’s answers usually entailed more antagonizing or flirting, instead of something so...simple.  Something so final.  Maybe he was expecting more from _Sam_.

The alpha grabbed his change of clothes, his bag of toiletries with his phone in hand and swiped a towel from the linen closet on the way to the bathroom.  He turned the shower on and while he waited for the water to heat up, he stripped down, musing over the conversation from last night.  What could Sam really say in response?

He remembered Gabriel had given him permission to mark him whenever he wanted.  God, that  _still_ sent a shiver down his spine.  Sam had a feeling (scratch that—he knew damn well) he’d take the other alpha up on his offer the moment he got home.  He remembered Gabriel talking about his rut, about all the things he was going to do to Sam—

Shit.

In no time, Sam realized he was rock hard just thinking about his boyfriend.  At least he had a shower he could jerk off in, rather than a pair of boxers.

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.  Who said he had to keep the flow of _conversation_ going about last night?

With a smirk, Sam clicked into the camera app on his phone and faced it towards the mirror to capture a full-body shot.

He grinned at the explicit picture, because for once he knew _he’d_ be the one catching _Gabriel_ off guard and he loved the thrill in that.  He sent it right before he hopped in the shower, with the caption:

_Sam 12:33PM  
_ _I lied it’s bc I miss you.  Thinking about you right now_

Although Sam had the full intention of jacking off in the shower, he became distracted.  Once he was in, he could hear the phone’s consistent vibration of someone calling against the counter.  He began laughing—it didn’t stop after the first round of being sent to voicemail.  Sam knew it was Gabriel.  The other alpha called so many times, his phone slowly shifted until it slipped and ricocheted into the goddamn sink.

By that point, Sam was practically cackling because, yeah, it felt great to be the one to surprise Gabriel for a change.  He couldn’t wait to hear the voicemail or read whatever text Gabriel had sent.  But for the time being, Sam would relax under the heavenly spray of the water and muse about him not being the “needy one,” for once.

\--------------

Sam was both excited and apprehensive about his _date_ with Jo.

He and his brother had spent the afternoon hanging out and catching up while munching on leftovers.  When Sam mentioned he was going out to dinner, Dean surprised him by flying to the offensive.  Having to talk Dean down and making him chill the hell out wasn't in his plans, and Sam was forced to vaguely mention Jo wanting to chat her future—which Dean had a feeling about.  Hench the freak-out.  But that was _it,_ that's as far as Sam would go.    
  
Sam wouldn’t divulge any more information, because Dean would _always_ fold under the pressure of Ellen’s interrogations—and Sam wanted to play it safe.  He couldn't tell Dean that Jo's future involved ditching her hometown.

She picked him up in her newly refurbished car right around five, and they headed into town to eat at one of their favorite childhood diners.  It was a blast from the past, and Sam liked the familiar feel of it.  This joint wasn’t somewhere Dean would have wanted to go, mostly because they didn’t serve alcohol and substituted them for milkshakes.  It was perfect for Jo and Sam’s purposes.

Once they got their drinks, she started to pick his brain about his move out to Stanford.

Questions of whether Sam missed home, what it was like to make new friends, how his studies were going.

It was surprising, how many topics Sam had to skirt around and lie about.  No one else (besides Dean and Bobby) knew about his fight with heroin and he intended to keep it that way.   _Especially_ Jo.  Sam didn’t want his first—and worst—experience to scare her off.  Because getting out of Kansas would be good for her.

When Jo ordered, “So.  Now you spill about your boyfriend,” he shouldn’t have been caught off guard.  She followed up with, “You said you’d tell me yesterday, and there’s no way you can avoid it any more, Winchester.”

She had a point.

Sam awkwardly shrugged and asked, “Uh, what do you want to know?”

“How did you guys meet?  Is it serious?”  Jo drummed her fingers on the table, “I have about fifty-two other questions, but I won’t bombard you.  So answer those first and we’ll continue.”

“ _Jesus_ , did you bring a list?”  Sam groaned, reaching for his water.

Jo tapped her temple and responded, “Nope, got ‘em all stored right up here!  Let‘s get this going.”

“We actually met, wow, almost two years ago?” he realized as he spoke the words, “And I thought it was a one night stand, well—we _both_ did.  Actually, it ended pretty badly and pissed me off because I thought we had a connection.  And he ran.  He, uh, kind of had a reason...I lied about my age because I was sneaking into a bar but I thought that was stupid and— _anyway_ ,” Sam abruptly shook his head, getting caught up in the frustrating memory.  “Then we reconnected over a year later.  That night we—uh, talked.  Kind of turned it into a two-night stand, I guess.  After that, we actually took a go at dating.  Turns out we really, really clicked.  We’ve had ups and downs but we’ve been together for about seven months.  We’ve lived together for this last month and we’re getting a house come January.”

When he looked up, there was shock written all over Jo’s face.

He blinked abruptly and hesitated, “...What?”

“Holy hell.  You should see yourself!  You’re so sickeningly in love, I’m choking on it!”  Jo sounded like she was complaining, except she smelled of nothing but glee.  “This is beyond serious, dude!  You’re talking about him like he’s _the one_.  Your scent, it all makes sense now!”

“I mean,” Sam stumbled over some kind of retort, but all he could come up with was, “I do love him.”

“Damn, I wish you could'a brought him!”  Jo clucked her tongue.  “I get it.  Love, living together, are you gonna do the whole engaged bullshit, or are you gonna mate?  Or have you?  Did you guys do the hidden marks thing, or…?”  She watched him with anticipation—like they already had—and it was time for show-and-tell.

This, right here, was the part Sam _hated_.  Every single fucking time.  He trusted Jo not to judge him, that was something he was sure of.  She was family, she loved him unconditionally and she was one of the most open-minded people he knew.

“We’re together and we’re happy…” he said slowly.

“And…?” she prompted, matching his sluggish pace.

“And we’re both alphas.”

Jo stuck out her bottom lip in thought, and came up with, “Huh.”

“Huh?”  Sam echoed, then ruefully added, “That’s a new one.”

“Well, you can get still engaged and married instead!”  Jo perked right back up, unfazed.  “Since the mating thing may not be in the cards.”  Her tone took a turn for the mischievous as she leaned in and asked, “So, Sammy—who wears the pants in the relationship?”

“You’re just as bad as Dean!”  He barked out a laugh, because inappropriateness over sympathy was always a relief.  “We’re equals.  It doesn’t work that way!”

“So you switch?  Kinky.”  She wiggled her eyebrows and Sam would have smacked her if he didn’t already know she’d hit him back, twice as hard.

“Oh, God.”  Sam groaned loud, burying his face in his hands, “It’s always about sex, isn’t it?”

“Hey, _you_ were the one who said it started as a one-night stand!  Hell, I've never even heard of a _two-night_ stand!  Kudos, there.”  Jo raised her hands in front of her defensively, “I’ve just never known an alpha couple, I’m curious how it'd all work.  Not that it matters, because here’s the cliché: I’m glad you’re happy.  You’re ridiculously in love.  I think that’s awesome.  That’s…” she chewed on her lip for a second.  “That’s something that I want.  And it’s something I really don’t think I’m going to find here.”

“I understand, and that's why you need to come visit us,” Sam implored with earnest eyes.  “Just to get a feel for the city.  It’ll be good for you.  Plus, you'll know what you’re getting into.  You can get a head-start on what to prepare for, it can be a lot to take in when you're from Kansas, you know?  It was for me, at least.  We’d love to have you, hell, Gabe would love you.  And I already have a feeling you’ll love him.  He’s a smartass, snarky jerk most of the time, but he’s got a huge heart.  I really want you to meet him.”

It was only then that the realization struck Sam.

He _honestly_ wanted Gabriel to meet his family.  This lightening strike made Sam realize that he _needed_ to bring Gabriel home, to introduce him to all the important people who shaped his life.  To integrate him _into_ his family because there was a damn good chance he was, what Jo called, the one.  No, not a chance.  Sam’s heart had already decided that Gabriel  _was_.

“Earth to Sam?”

“Wha—” he snapped his attention back up.

“I said ‘yeah, all that sounds lovely.’”  Then Jo tilted her head in concern.  “Where did you go?”

“Just a minor life-changing epiphany, is all.”  Sam scoffed and looked her in the eyes.  “I...think he could be it for me.”

“Ya think?”  Even though her voice was sarcastic, her presence and her scent were both warm.  “We’ll plan out a trip soon.  How about you give me a holler as soon as you two get settled into your house?”

Sam couldn’t stop grinning.  “Yeah, I think that sounds perfect.  He'll be ecstatic to show you around the city.  I can sit back and relax while he does the hard, hosting work.  He loves that kinda thing.”

“I’m getting the feeling he _totally_ wears the pants.”  A shark-like grin emerged in a flash.

“ _No_ ,” the alpha snapped, “I told you, we’re—”

“ _You’re_ the ball and chain, Sammy,” Jo said in a sing-song way.

“Joanna Beth, I _swear—_ ”

\-------------

Even though it had been Jo and Dean to bring the holiday cheer to Bobby’s, Jo was back to working full-time at the bar and Sam agreed he’d help clean up the festiveness now that Christmas was over.  They arrived at Bobby’s house early, because Jo and Dean hadn’t held back with their decorating.  This was going to be a hell of a job.  Plus, they wanted the time with Bobby as this may be Sam’s last chance before he went back to Palo Alto.

As hard as they tried to beg _or_ drag Bobby out to the Roadhouse with them, he was a hermit.  Sure, he’d go out to visit every once in awhile, but the odds of him venturing back out into public this soon were slim to none.  Bobby enjoyed his alone time when he could get it, and he needed to refuel before opening the shop back up.  Christmas, for anyone, was draining.  But Christmas for Bobby required him to retreat back into his cave and, yeah, the Winchesters understood.

“Hey!”  Dean shouted into the house, opening the door with his own key.  “Ready to go back to drab and boring?”

Bobby was sitting on the couch, and it took him a few seconds to look over and acknowledge the fact they were even there.

“Finally.  Was worried you idjits weren’t gonna bring’a clean-up crew and I’d be stuck with this crap, year ‘round.”  He grumbled, turning the volume down on the TV.  “God knows I ain’t touchin’ it.”

While Dean rolled his eyes and went to grab the tubs he’d gotten the decorations from, Sam tilted his head and stared at their uncle.  Even though Dean didn’t seem to notice—or maybe he ignored it completely—Bobby seemed…off.

“Hi,” Sam made his own greeting and went to sit next to him in the chair.  “How are you feeling?”

“’M fine.”  It was an automatic reaction.  “Yer playin’ Jo for the day?  Where’s the blonde wig?  How’d he rope you into it?”

Sam chuckled and went along with it, but he was trying to examine the older man’s scent.  “Jo’s slinging burgers and booze again.  Even though she’s basically Mighty Mouse, Dean mentioned they had some trouble getting the tree in here?”  When Bobby snickered and nodded, Sam continued, “So I guess I’m being used for my muscle to get it out.”

“Yeah, yeah, makes sense.”

Sam’s eyes glanced to see a football game, per usual, on TV but his nose was honing in and picking apart the the different notes he could analyze.  Bobby’s scent was neutral enough, but there were undertones of exhaustion.  Like, bone-deep exhaustion—not simple fatigue from the holidays.    
  
Sam had never scented anything quite like it.  He wondered if it had always been there, covered up by the excitement of the gathering, or if it was new.  He made a mental note to talk to Dean about it, because it worried him.  There was a hollowness burrowed down in there Sam couldn't make head or tails of either.  Unless...

Was this—was this the scent of losing a mate?

Sam chewed on his lip and was grateful when Dean’s heavy footfalls rumbled down the stairs, announcing, “Let’s get this show on the road!”

He laid out three huge plastic tubs in different states of distress from use over the years, and pointed to each one of them.

“Green one’s for the tree decorations.  Clear one is for all the lights.  And the blue one is for tinsel and wrapping the fragile things on the tree.  I’ll get those kinda decorations first, wrap ‘em in tissue paper, then we can tear it all down.”  Dean turned to the tree and zeroed in on the ornament up top, then instructed, “Sam, you can start with the lights around the house.”

“Sounds good.”  Sam was glad he had a job to do, because the more he scrutinized Bobby’s scent the more it bothered him.

He knew Jo and Dean decided to string lights at random along doorways and the railing of the staircase.  Sam surveyed all the areas where they hung while Dean took care of the delicate, probable family-heirloom-type decorations.  Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Bobby watching Dean like a hawk—because those were the ones that meant something.  Those carried the Singer hand-me-down memories and the omega knew it, whether he felt Bobby’s gaze or not, he was treating them with gentle hands and a light touch before strategically placing them (neatly wrapped) in the tub.

Sam snapped out of it and shook himself off.  He knew if he got caught staring he’d get an earful from his brother.  He needed to get with the program, there was a surplus of gaudy lights he needed to take down, and his height worked to his advantage.  Sam didn’t need a step-stool, he could easily reach all the nooks and crannies where they were jammed up against, and in the door frame corners.

It looked like Jo and Dean had done this MacGyver-style, because there was freakin' duct-tape _galore_.  Bobby probably ordered them not to poke any holes in his walls.  Sam actually found himself laughing that he hadn’t noticed how they had hung these earlier, but at least it was a much easier tear-down than he’d expected.

Dean finished with the fragiles right around the time Sam finished with the lights, his last string being the one wrapped around the tree.  The omega went ahead and shut the blue tub and walked it back into the attic while Sam unwrapped the final string of lights.

When Sam set them in the clear tub, Dean repeated the process and took that one up, next.  It left the alpha with time to really look at the tree.  Before, the rainbow glow was distracting and took away from the small hanging items on the branches.  Now they were the main attraction and he could get up close and personal.

Sam's hands brushed along a few in particular.

There was a bedazzled, tiny can of beer Jo had made about six years ago.  A small frame showcasing a picture—one of the only shots they’d ever taken of the _entire_ family.  Well, their small rag-tag family.    
  
Sam paid special attention to that one, because it held so many memories.  When Karen was still alive.  When the three of them were in grade school.  All gathered in front of the fireplace.  Then, another caught his eye—or rather, _two_.

One was something Dean had made in a woodworking class in high school before he dropped out.  Sam had been so jealous of it, that Dean had picked a lock and snuck him into the workshop after school hours.  He showed Sam how to outline and work the small saws, just so Sam could make his own.  Sam's looked God-awful compared to Dean’s, but they both hung proudly next to each other with their initials scratched lightly into the back.

Sam also found other random things he, Jo and Dean had made through school.  He had no idea that Bobby had kept _all of them_ , considering how truly crappy every single one was.  But… Sam knew it was because he was proud.    
  
_Shit_ , he was feeling emotional looking at all these ornaments!  But in a way—they’d _all_ been Bobby’s kids.

It had been Bobby who taught them how to throw a football because of absent fathers.  Who taught them to how to fish.  While Dean had provided for Sam once he got his GED, _before_ he’d felt the desire to claim his independence, along with Sam's—it had been Bobby who was there raising them.    
  
Bobby was the one who always said he’d cover for Sam and Dean if Child Service’s ever came knocking.  Even after that, even when Sam was fighting to get sober, _Bobby_ had still been there for him every step of the way.    
  
He'd been the one to call up the university, to lie through his teeth and tell Stanford there was a 'family emergency' and Sam needed the semester off.  Thank God, they'd listened to him, but then again...how could you argue with the surly old alpha?  Bobby was the _only_ reason Sam was still at Stanford—he'd already signed up for all his winter classes, he would have flunked out and ruined his career, his life, because of addiction if it hadn't been for Bobby coming to the rescue...

Sam nearly jumped a mile high when Dean clapped his hands on his shoulder, and announced, “Ready for the final phase?”

“You’re such a jerk!”  He tore away from the omega and gave him a scalding bitchface, but Dean was immune.

Dean practically choked on his laughter while he patted his back.  “Chill out, bitch.  We’ve got a job to do!”

\------------------

After they finished things at Bobby’s and dumped the tree with a truck they borrowed from Ellen, the brothers returned to the Roadhouse.  It was Sam’s final night home and tomorrow he had an early afternoon flight back.  On the ride over, he _had_ to bring it up while they still had privacy.

“So… is Bobby okay?”  Sam got right to the point.

Which had Dean raising an eyebrow, as he asked, “What do you mean?”

“I mean...”  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  “I guess when I scented him he just didn’t smell like Bobby.”

“Yeah, well, life happened.  He lost Karen.  Kinda hits a guy hard, you know?  I told you he’s getting better.  You don’t even _wanna_ know what his scent was like when it happened.  Or the months and months _after_ it happened.”  The older Winchester’s voice was strangely solemn for a change.  “He’s okay now.  Hell, you got to see him at his best, best he’s been since he lost her.  Consider yourself lucky.”

“Alright.”  Sam knew his brother was ending the conversation right then, but it still didn’t sit well.

Except when he thought about it, what would _he_ do if he lost Gabriel?  And not in the break-up sense, in the forever, didn’t-get-a-choice, _finality_ sense?  Sam hadn’t even been with the other alpha that long and it would destroy him.  Bobby and Karen were _true mates_.  Something so rare and special it was statically an anomaly.  And they’d been together for _decades_.

Shit…Bobby’s scent made all the sense in the world.

And the sorrow in Sam's gut ached for his uncle.

Fuck, he needed to snap out of it.  This was the last night he had with his family and he wanted to make the most out of it.  He wouldn’t allow himself mourn a loss he didn’t have the right to mourn.  

\--------------

Gabriel found himself in his apartment going a little stir-crazy.  Okay, _a lot-a_ stir-crazy.

He wasn’t sure if it was because of his looming rut, because he missed Sam, or because he didn’t know what the hell to do with days off.

Sure, he requested his future time off for when Sam got home, plus  _said_ impending rut, but the strip club wouldn’t let him work any more days this week because he’d hit his hourly limit.  Which was annoying.    
  
Gabriel tried to barter with his boss, telling him they could just “say the hours were for next week during his absence.”  But the man in charge wasn’t having any of it!  Despite the strip club being a shady place to work, they strictly adhered to the rules of the worker’s union.

Lame.

No matter how much Gabriel huffed and puffed, nothing changed.

He tried to remind himself to take solace in the fact that he’d be picking Sam up at the airport tomorrow.

But—again—that was _tomorrow_.

He didn’t know what the hell he was doing today!

Gabriel actually slept in for the first time in God knows _how long_ , went grocery shopping and filled his fridge to the brim for the upcoming week, and now he was sitting in front of the TV.  But Gabriel wasn’t watching it.  He was zoning out and frustrated.  Which led him outside to his balcony with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

With his phone in hand, even though he knew this was Sam’s last night with his family, the kid had been radio-silent—so he didn’t necessarily feel bad texting him.  Just to touch base.  And stuff.

_Gabriel 7:19PM  
_ _cant wait to see ur sexy ass tmr_

He lit the cigarette and took in a deep breath of smoke.  Although it was chilly outside, the robe he wore was just enough to keep in his body heat as he stared out into the city.  
  
The only thing Gabriel would miss about the apartment was the view, but he couldn’t wait to get the house with Sam.  Hell, earlier that day he’d sent an email inquiry about the one Sam liked the most and he was waiting to hear back.

Everything had been set in motion.  All they had in the way was an airplane ride, a week of awesome sex and _bam_.  Hopefully, they’d be closing on a house.

It was surreal, it was something Gabriel never thought he’d have—but life couldn’t be better.

His brother was finally turning his life around in rehab, Cas had Meg as a support system, and Gabriel was living the dream.  Well, if you considered getting horny dudes drunk at a titty bar part of the dream.  He liked his job enough, and it was still the ideal cover.  It made him wonder sometimes—would he ever come clean to Sam about his past?

The moment the thought crossed his mind, was the moment his mind answered him with a blaring: _fuck no_.

Well.  That was easy enough.

He was more than halfway through his cigarette, when his phone lit up in his hand.

_Sam 7:22PM  
_ _You got the flight itinerary I sent you, right?_

_Gabriel 7:23PM  
_ _and know it by heart dont worry moose i wont leave u hanging_

_Sam 7:25PM  
_ _Good.  I’m excited to see you_

_Gabriel 7:26PM  
_ _u or ur dick ;)_

_Sam 7:31PM  
_ _Shut up.  Don’t even start in with that, I’m having a family dinner and if you give me a boner here I will literally murder you when I get home_

The alpha snorted and realized he’d been outside for too long.  Since he finished his cigarette a while ago, he turned around and headed back inside.  Gabriel collapsed against the couch, a smirk on his face as he looked over the conversation.

_Gabriel 7:34PM  
_ _yah that’s weird ill let u go then bc im worried I wont be able to stop myself_

_Sam 7:36PM  
_ _I just got yelled at for being on my phone too I’ll call you tonight_

_Gabriel 7:37PM  
_ _sounds good have fun_

He grimaced, because that meant the conversation was officially over.  Gabriel dramatically rolled to his side and grabbed the couch pillow.  If only it was Sam’s lap.  He had to remind himself that it would be.  Soon.  He just had to wait.    
  
It was too bad he was an impatient asshole—it happened to be one of his biggest flaws.

Gabriel was used to getting what he wanted, he was used to instant gratification.  He was smart and meticulously, he either talked his way into things (or out of things, if need be), or worked for them—to have what he wished for _right then_.  He didn't do waiting.  If he had to wait, it wasn't worth it...or that's what would've happened in the _past_.  Everything had changed.  This was completely out of his hands.  Jesus!  It was only a couple days since the kid had been gone, he was spoiled rotten from Sam’s presence!

Maybe he needed a goddamn dog...

The thought made Gabriel chuckle.  What would Sam do if he came home and there was a puppy running around the place?  He’d probably love it.

Shit, Gabriel shouldn’t entertain that thought just because he needed _to be_ entertained.  Especially because the thought of Sam happy over a mutt melted his heart enough he _may_ be impulsive enough to do it...

Thankfully it was after hours—so Gabriel couldn’t if he wanted to.  Which was for the best.  Sam would probably kill him if he came home to a living room full of puppies because Gabriel 'got bored' and thought Sam may like it.  Until he had to take them all back, and then it would break his heart—

Wow, Gabriel  _sucked_ at having days off.

\-------------

“Finally done sexting?” Dean asked with his mouth full, obnoxiously chewing his food.  “Welcome back!”

“I was making sure he knew when to pick me up tomorrow.”  Sam didn’t hesitate to smack his brother, who was seated right next to him at the table.  “Kind of important stuff, jackass.”

Ellen grinned knowingly at him from across the table and took a sip of her beer before nodding at the omega.  “Don’t tease yer brother too much.  Or else it’s gonna come back _twice_ as hard when you get _yourself_ a mate, Dean.”

“Hah!” Dean tossed his head back and grabbed his own beer.  “That’ll be the day, Ellen!”

“Mom’s right!”  Jo leaned forward wiggling her eyebrows, “With all the harassment you’re giving Sam over a responsible, caring boyfriend who you _approve_ of?  Just wait until he grills yours!”

“Traitors.”  Dean stuffed a handful of fries in his mouth as a diversion.

The women were able to take their dinner break together with the brothers, the wait staff capable of handling the current crowd at the Roadhouse.  It was nice, not simply because Ellen had cooked everything before they sat down (and the woman’s food was _amazing_ ), but because they were able to make time to hang out before Sam left.    
  
The vacation had gone by in a flash, and Sam wanted to spend as much time with his family as he could before his departure.  Plus, it was pretty awesome the two women were on _Sam’s_ side on this matter, too.

“Yep.”  Sam glanced at his brother.  “Just you wait.  You’re going to find a sweet, doting, waits-on-you-hand-and-foot alp—”

His words were abruptly ended when Dean elbowed him in the side.

Right.  Sometimes he forgot _Dean_ was playing _alpha_.  And the glare he shot Sam was something fierce.  It was probably because they were in public, and the place wasn’t as jam-packed and full of white noise as usual.  That had Dean more tense and on edge when someone even breathed anywhere near the topic.

“Ow!”  Sam complained, then added, “Seriously?  People aren’t eavesdropping on our conversation, calm down, dude!”

“Whatever.”  Dean huffed and drained his beer, which was seen by one of the waitresses who winked and went around the bar to grab him another.  “This isn’t Palo Alto or San Francisco, Sam.  You can’t do that.”

“It’s like they’re little kids again,” Jo dramatically whispered to her Ellen, making sure it drew both the men’s attention.  “You’d think they’d enjoy the last bit of time they have together, or something.”

The fight left Dean’s rigid frame and he nodded, “Yeah.  You’re right.  Sorry, Sammy.”

“No, I get it.”  He hoped his scent emphasized how he felt—because he understood.

Dean was well known in this community, both for working at the Roadhouse and the Salvage Yard.  And there was no way in hell he’d _ever_ come out as an omega here, not in this tight-knit town where word and gossip traveled fast.    
  
Sam had only meant to tease him back, but it was a sore subject with his brother.  On some occasions more than others.  It was strange, because sometimes Dean  _embraced_ being an omega—at random bars just outside of the city limits where no one knew his name.  But here?  Dean wouldn’t be caught dead without his blockers and alpha cologne.

It was ironic how both brothers had their own secrets and dilemmas when it came to designation they didn’t want the outside world to know of.

It was Dean who snapped out of it first, as he polished off his plate and thanked the waitress for bringing him another beer.  “So when’s the next time you think you’ll come home, Sammy?”

The alpha honestly hadn’t thought about it, he had to pause.  “I'm not sure.  Obviously next Christmas—”

“When you’ll be bringing your _beau_ ,” Jo batted her eyelashes.

“— _When_ I’ll be bringing ‘my beau,’” Sam repeated in agreement, because he was sold on the idea—he _would_  be dragging Gabriel back with him.  Sooner than the holiday, if he could manage.  “It all depends on my studies and my classes.  Maybe spring break?  I’ll have to check.  At least now I don’t have to worry a ton about money.  Maybe I’ll be able to pick up a part-time—”

“Nope.  Outta the question!” Dean cut him off.  “That’s the whole reason I was paying rent!  Now, I know for a _fact_ you got all A’s, and that’s gonna continue, all right?”

“Okay, _Mom_.”

“’Sides, I highly doubt your alpha is gonna let you get a job while yer in school,” Dean poked his cheek with a wide grin.  “No way in hell!”

Sam’s face went strangely blank.  
  
It was only then that Dean realized he did it.   _Again_.  Fuck!    
  
He kept giving Sam’s secrets away without realizing—because Dean, himself, didn’t see the big deal, even though his brother _did_.

“I mean…” Dean tried to come up with something, but there was no saving it.  Not this time.

“Oh, I already knew.”  Jo waved her hand at Dean, and then deliberately pronounced, “And no one else should have a problem with that, _right_ , Mom?”

Ellen didn’t look offended or disgusted, just surprised.

“Doesn't bother me if he's got three eyes and six legs, Sam, yer happy.  That's what counts,” the beta woman settled on.  “Gotta admit, now I wanna meet ‘im even more.”

“Right?!” Jo gushed and turned to Dean, “We’re all jealous of _you_.  The only one who’s met the mystery man!”

“I know,” Dean began laughing awkwardly and hoped it seemed real, since he had been lying his ass off the whole time.

Both brothers shared a glance, a patronizing smile and reached for their beers.  Even though they weren't looking to get plastered, this moment had earned them both a hearty chug.

\-------------

“Sorry, I suck,” Dean admitted as soon as they got returned to his apartment.  “I think I fixed it, right?  And, uh, at least there aren’t any secrets?  There’s a plus.”

“Yeah.  We’ll go with that.”  Sam toed off his shoes in the entry way.

To be honest, now that everything was out in the open he did feel a sense of relief.  Everyone knew.  And...no one cared.    
  
Well, Ellen was intrigued—which he supposed was a natural reaction to two alphas being together—she wanted to meet Gabriel.  Sam kept thinking, over and over, how he should have convinced him to come.

Maybe, just maybe, over spring break he could bring Gabriel to Kansas?  After all, most the students would be heading home or off to some vacation hot-spot.  Although the strip club _was_  technically in San Francisco—a vacation area—business _would_ be booming and Gabriel never said no to busy shifts and making money.    
  
Still, Sam had a feeling (by then at least) he’d be able to convince Gabriel to chose him over work.  Just _one_ time.

“Do you wanna watch a movie?  Or catch some z’s?”  Dean asked, but it was only to be polite.  Sam could scent the sedating effect the alcohol had on his brother from the hallway.

They hadn’t drank enough to get drunk, Dean hadn’t drank enough for even a mild buzz because he’d never risk Baby—but he was tired.

Sam laughed at him, and pointed out, “You’re dead on your feet, dude.  Go crash.  I’m pretty beat too.”

“Fuck yes,” Dean pumped his fist and then snapped his fingers.  “You need anything?  ‘Cause once I’m asleep, I’m gonna be dead to the world.”

“Go have your coma.  I’ll see you in the morning,” the alpha smiled warmly and watched his brother flash him a thumbs up before hobbling down the hallway.

Yeah, Dean would be out like a light.  They’d gotten up early this morning, and they’d stayed as late as they could for Dean to sober up completely at the bar.  When Sam headed to his room, he began to pack.  Tomorrow, bright and early, he was leaving—which was bittersweet.

That’s when he remembered he’d told Gabriel he would call, and he fished around in his jacket pocket to find his phone.

He cradled it between his shoulder and his ear as he moved around the room, folding clothes and tucking his things away in the suitcase.

“Hello, honeybunch!” Gabriel greeted, clearly awake—which Sam hadn’t considered since it was his day off and he could’ve dozed off already.

“Hey, what are you up to.”

“I had an extremely exciting day of doing jack-shit.  Which I am _still_ doing.  Sitting on the couch.  Channel surfing.  Since, you know, I’ve hit my allotted hours at the club.  How about you?”  His words were rolled in heavy sarcasm, and Sam could hear the background noise cut out as Gabriel either muted or turned off the TV.

“Right now, I’m packing.”  He couldn’t contain the smile on his face that he knew could be heard through the phone.  “Just finished dinner with most of the family.  Dean’s already gone to bed.  Earlier, we took down the Christmas cheer from Bobby’s...”  Sam paused for a second, and couldn’t help the next question that hurdled past his lips, “Have you ever known anyone who’s lost their true mate?”

“ _Woah_.  Back up,” Gabriel’s voice dipped down a lilt and changed into something serious.  That alone surprised Sam.  “I’ve never even _known_ anyone who’s _met_ their true mate.  That’s crazy-rare.  Are you saying…?”

“I told you about Bobby and Karen.”  Sam took a seat on the edge of the bed, “They were true mates.  And when I was with Bobby today, like really alone with him, I noticed his scent was… just empty.  That’s the only way I can think to describe it.”

“Well, yeah.”  The other alpha was careful with his words, which put Sam on guard.  “True mates aren’t like regular mates, Sammy.  They’re two people who were literally _born_ to be together.  Take one of ‘em away and, well.  You were the one who had the front row seat.”

With a sigh, Sam pinched the bridge of his nose and said optimistically, “Dean said Bobby’s getting better.  You can get better.  —Right?”

The long spread of silence filled Sam with the same dread he’d felt before.

“I dunno, kid.”  He heaved a breath, but quickly followed up with, “But Dean’s with him, yeah?  He’d know more than both of us.  Let your brother take care of him.  A family who loves you is the best band-aide, and from what you’ve said: yours has got a lotta love.”

Sam stared at the floor and began to zone out, thinking of all the possibilities, the ramifications, and prayed Dean knew what he was doing.  That he could watch and take care of Bobby, like the old alpha had done for them growing up and—

“Hey, come back.”  Gabriel said softly, “Let it be.  You’re overthinking, I can practically hear the wheels turning from here.  Instead, think about time tomorrow.  How I will be thoroughly distracting you.  Can you manage until then?”

Letting gravity take over, Sam tilted backwards until he was falling and his back hit the mattress.  With a grunt, he stared at the ceiling.  “Distract me now?”

“Hm.  Okay, how do you want to be distracted?” Gabriel asked playfully, and even the change in his tone made Sam feel better.

“I don’t care.  Dealer’s choice.  You’re always good at it.”

“Well, being alone in my apartment, I noticed a couple of things, and they _sucked_ ,” he started in.  “I can barely scent you in here.  One of the reasons being, I was so damn bored I did laundry.  Yes, you heard that correctly, _I_ fucking _cleaned_.  I also bought a surplus of rabbit-approved food for the rest of our combined vaca, which is going to be lovely, by the way.  Even if I can’t promise rose petals and candles, I _can_ promise outstanding sex.”

“Outstanding, huh?”

“Yeah, we’re talkin’ five stars, here.”  He snickered to himself, “Although, I’m still not sure _when_ we’ve got the reservation set for.  Not sure how to gauge that.”

“Let me guess, I’m on the menu?” Sam teasingly added in, finally feeling better.

“Yep.  You and that five-star ass...”  It was husky before Gabriel abruptly cleared his throat—like he was attempting to keep things tame.  “Bottom line—your scent’s _required_ , I will feed you, and love you up.”

With a surprising bark of laughter, Sam repeated, “Love me up?”

“I thought it was a tad more romantic than ‘fuck you raw,’ but whatever you prefer, princess.”

“I’m fine with either.  Both.  All of it,” Sam rolled over on his side and looked at his almost-packed bags.  “We can switch it up.  We’ve got all the time in the world.”

“Ain’t that the truth.  You better start with your stretches, ‘cause who knows when this storm’ll roll in.”  Gabriel’s normal confidence faltered, and even though it was for a split-second, he sounded wary.

“I’m not worried.”  Sam _needed_ to reassure him, and even though Sam could see Gabriel protesting, he was fine—they were _both_ fine.  Hell, Sam was excited, which was why he challenged, “I don't know if you heard, but I’m actually a storm-seeker.”

“Oh, you’ve been around the block, Mr. Weatherman?”

“Nah, just tracking the elusive Hurricane Gabriel.”  He easily quipped back, “Only one I’m interested in.”

“You’ll need to grab a fuckin’ umbrella.”  Then, a yawn interrupted his next punchline when the Gabe realized, “Shit.  I’m sleepy.  When did that happen?"

“Go to bed,” Sam’s words were warm and happy.  Next time he fell asleep, he’d be with this smartass.   _His_ smartass.  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Mm, I cannot wait.”  The honesty in Gabriel’s voice carried strong, and even stronger when he said, “Finish packing, I love you.”

“Love you, too.  Sweet dreams.”

\--------------

Sam had completely forgotten to set an alarm clock.  Luck was on his side, because Dean had remembered his own.  That had to do with the fact that Dean wanted to take Sam out to breakfast before he sent him on his way.

It was glaringly obvious to Dean why Sam was so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when they were digging into their pancakes.  He was forced to point out, “Don’t drink too much coffee.  You probably can’t even _fit_ into the deathtrap’s bathrooms, ya damn moose.”

“I’d say one day you’ll get over your fear, but I know you won’t.”  Sam glowed as he continued to sip his drink.    
  
He needed the caffeine, he was tossing and turning and didn't want to risk crashing.  Not before he saw his boyfriend.

Sure, he had trouble sleeping the night before, but that was only because there were countless things on his mind.  Sam _knew_ he wouldn’t sleep on the plane, he had no plans to sleep when he landed, and the coffee was the only thing that was catching his body up with his brain.

“I had a really, really great time,” Sam said randomly, meeting his brother's gaze.  “I wish I could come home more often.  Or maybe you could come to visit?  I don’t know.  Sure, you blew my boyfriend’s cover, but I want you to meet him.  For real.  I don’t want your words to be lies, I want them to be the truth...because I know they _would_ be.  I know you'll love him and you vouching for him won't be bullshit when you meet him.   _When—_ not if, Dean.”

“We’ll work it out,” Dean said with a toothy smile.  “What’s gotten into you, anyway?  You’re friggin hyper and gooey.  Got plans when you get home?”

Sam hesitated, wondering if he was that transparent.  It was just enough of a pause for Dean to sink in his claws and run with it.

“You totally do!”  Dean used his fork to point and demanded, “What’s going on?  ’Cause I can tell it’s more than dinner and a movie.”

“Uh…”  The alpha hesitated, then came to the decision, “I don’t think you wanna know.”

With an unimpressed eyebrow raised, Dean deadpanned, “I don’t wanna know.  For _real_ , Sammy?  Unless you’ve got some crazy kinky role-play lined up, I think _I may_ , jitterbug.”

“Well,” Sam shifted uncomfortable, weighing his options.  He _had_ told Dean about his own rut so... “He went off his suppressants for me.  And when I get back, um.  You can fill in the blank.”

“Wait.  He’s on suppressants?  An _alpha_ on suppressants?”  Dean’s face was ridiculously confused, “Why the hell—  What kind of—?”  Then his eyes lit up and his jaw dropped open, “ _Oh_.”

“Oh, _what_?”  It was Sam’s turn to be confused—he did not like this reaction. 

Dean lowered his voice to a whisper and hissed, “Is it because he’s a true alpha?  I mean, _shit_ , that would totally make sense!  His rut would be like… a rut on _steroids_ , or something.  Was this _your_ geniusidea?”

“Maybe.”

With an incredulous expression and an explosion of laughter, Dean slapped his hand down on the table a couple times.  “Dude!” he was trying to catch his breath, “Good luck with _that_.  Really!  Your ass is grass.”

Sam glowered and then huffed, “Well, at least you’re not worried about me anymore.”

“Nah, this is your damn own fault.  You dug your grave.”  Dean was still giggling as tried to shake it off before he made eye contact, “Bright side?  At least you can’t get knocked up!”

“That’s _all_ you have to say?”  The alpha huffed a heavy groan, “I regret telling you anything.”

“Well, it was bound to happen sometime.  Just, godspeed.  Remember: lots of lube.  And stay hydrated!” Dean wiped fake sweat away from his brow, “You’re gonna have a taste of what it’s like to be an omega.  Welcome to the club!”

“Hey!  Who’s to say it’s—”

“True.  Alpha.  C'mon, _really_?  No fuckin’ way he’s gonna let you top!  Oh, _God_.  We’re not having this conversation.  Done-zo,” Dean paled a bit and began to eat his pancakes more aggressively.

Sam knew deep down there was no way either.  Hell, he wanted it that way—for Gabriel to feel safe and confident with that part of himself in their relationship.  Sam wanted his boyfriend he feel liberated and unafraid.  He’d only protested to Dean to save face.  And now his brother was laughing _in_ his face.

Fucking great.

“Alright!  Let’s get you to the airport, Sammy!”  Dean pulled money out of his wallet and set it on the table, “Enjoy being able to sit comfortably while you still can.”

\--------------

Sam’s leg was bouncing up and down when the plane descended, and it didn’t stop until it was time for his row to depart.  His duffle bag was already secured on his lap, and he knew he was crowding the young couple in front of him.  He didn’t care.

He had a perfect visit home, a great time with his family and a quality vacation.

Except currently, he was back at the San Francisco International Airport.

And he couldn’t wait to get back to Gabriel.

He was counting down the entire damn flight, like girl with a crush, even though he knew his boyfriend would be waiting and they’d _only_ been apart for four days.  It didn't matter—Sam felt like it had been too long.  It made Sam question if he was overly-dependent, in too deep, or what the hell was wrong with him.

Maybe he didn’t really care.  Because he knew no one could explain love.

Sam realized it was corny as hell and he’d never say any of these words aloud.  But by some stroke of bad luck or preoccupation, he’d completely forgotten to charge his iPod before the flight and he was left with his thoughts.  His stupid, way-too-deep, internal monologue.

All of which surrounded Gabriel.

He swooped through the airport, to the baggage claim and tried not to flat-out run to the pick-up area.  It was a good thing he had long legs, because his strides cut any normal-sized person’s time in half, and he was within sight of the glass doors before he knew it.

The moment they’d landed, he’d sent a text to the other alpha who assured him he’d be ready and waiting.

Once he was on the curb, Sam was looking around eagerly before he heard a shout, “My Sasquatch!” pitched over to his left.

When his eyes darted in that direction, he saw Gabriel waving from over his car.  Sam grinned so widely his cheeks ached.  Once again, he had to mentally _order_ his feet from taking off from underneath him and play it cool.

As soon as he was in earshot and didn’t have to shout like Gabriel had, he asked, “Where do you want me to put this?” gesturing to the borrowed luggage.

“Hah!”  Gabriel tipped his chin up in a dramatic, staccato nod as he swung around the front of the car.  “No romantic hello kiss?  I wanted to welcome you home first!  And all you care about is the friggin suitcase?!  I’m disappointed.”

In a blink, Gabriel was in front of him with a fake pout, hands on his hips, and Sam couldn’t keep his own to himself.    
  
He reached out and grabbed Gabriel’s face, dipping down for a borderline inappropriate kiss.  It was something he’d been waiting for the entire plane ride back.  Gabriel hummed and responded eagerly, their tongues sliding together and their lips moving heatedly.

Before it could get too intense, Gabriel was the one to end it with a, “Whew,  _that’s_ what I’m talkin’ about!” as he smacked Sam’s rear and grabbed the forgotten suitcase and duffle off the cement.  “Let’s go home and pick up where we left off.  How does that sound?”

Sam couldn’t keep the goofy smile off his face.  He nodded eagerly and confirmed, “Sounds like the best kind of welcome home.”


	22. Chapter Twenty One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wishing Happy Holidays to everyone with my gift to you: TONS of alpha-on-alpha smut! xoxo

Although the conversation on the way back to their apartment had been light and about Sam’s trip home, there was an underlying tension between the two.  There was also a need to get behind closed doors ASAfuckingP.  All the small talk was just a distraction so they didn’t get into any accidents from Sam’s wandering hands or Gabriel’s dirty mouth.

Which was why they were _forced_ to keep it light.

The traffic was heavy this time of day, so it gave Sam time to recount all the stories he had from Kansas and for Gabriel to deliver just as many punchlines in return.  He told Gabriel about Jo, and how she wanted to visit and see the city.  Sam also may have slipped in how he eventually wanted Gabriel to meet _all_ of his family, and hopefully now there wouldn’t be anything standing in their way.

Gabriel returned the sentiment.  That was pretty damn awesome, considering how Sam's 'eventually' was a sugar-coated 'get Gabriel's ass to Kansas, next vacation out.'  He wouldn't admit how strongly he felt about it, though.  He refused to spook his boyfriend, they had a good thing going.

As soon as they pulled into the parking spot in front of Gabriel’s apartment, both men paused a moment before their eyes met or they even took off their seat belts.

Sam swallowed hard as he looked over, and he could now scent the arousal Gabriel been fighting to hide.

“So is it just me, or was that the longest car ride in the history of _ever,_ when all I wanna do is get you naked?”  Leave it to the true alpha to finally voice it.

“Yeah.”  Sam nodded so eagerly his head could've fallen off.  “We need to get inside.  Now.”

“Leave your shit, we’ll come back for it,” Gabriel ordered with a pointed finger and they both rushed from the car.

They flew upstairs and Gabriel was poised with the key to get the door opened.  He was on a mission and failure to complete it (after being apart for what felt like _years_ ) was unacceptable.  While they both took off their shoes and hung up their coats like normal people, it was the race to the bedroom that turned savage.

The apartment was warm, but their bodies ran hot—it was like the instant they saw each other again a fever spiked, but it was welcomed.  It was a fever both alphas had missed.  It didn’t help they’d teased one another to the point of snapping through text and phone calls.  Physically being able to touch again was when they reached the breaking point.

They stared each other down like animals as undressed themselves.  Each piece of clothing that went flying made temptation soar, made their fingertips itch, and made them crave touch.  Gabriel finished before Sam, and lunged forward to help the other alpha with the rest of his layers.

Gabriel knocked Sam over in the process and he yelped as he was thrown off balance.  Sam had to reach out and grab the edge of the bed then haul himself onto it, because Gabriel was too busy ripping his damn pants off!    
  
Apparently, the top half of Sam was an afterthought.  It was laughable, they were behaving like obsessed teenagers instead of adults in a committed relationship.

Four days felt like a lifetime.

Finally, Gabriel realized what an awkward position Sam was in and had the nerve to snicker at him before grabbing his waist and swinging Sam up to where he wanted him.  The younger alpha huffed indignantly and shot him a bitchface—one that was soon kissed away with passion.

Sam was much less fussy now that he was actually up on the mattress _correctly_ (rather than holding it in fear of a face-full of carpet and rug-burn), and melted into the assault.

When their hips rutted together, Sam couldn’t help but blurt, “God, I missed this.  Missed your body—”

“Shoulda asked for a pic,” Gabriel said suggestively, grabbing a handful of Sam’s hair.  “I know I thoroughly enjoyed the one you sent me.   _Multiple_ times.”

“Oh yeah?”  Sam’s voice was hoarse with lust, eyes dark with need and curiosity.  “You liked that, huh?”

“You were such a fucking _colossal_ cocktease when you were gone.  Playin’ downright dirty,” he growled back.  “You abandon me here, and then every single night you’d go’n remind me of what I’m missing out on.  In _graphic_ detail—no less, and leave me with my hand.  That’s not very nice, Sammy.”

“What can I say?” Sam head butted Gabriel’s chin so his neck was exposed, “Wanted to keep you interested,” before sucking a mark into the tender skin—something he'd been dying to do ever since their conversation.

Gabriel moaned so loudly that it echoed through the room, feeling the briefest graze of teeth as blood rushed to the hickey.  His hips bucked wildly as Sam marked him and it made his cock throb and drip precum.  When Sam pulled away, he looked haughty as hell and Gabriel’s hand shot up to loosely wrap around his throat.

“Keep me interested, huh?” he repeated, and shook his head.  “Like I'd even wanna look at anyone else when I have you.”

Sam’s eyes were hungry as he watched Gabriel and stated, “Can’t be too careful.”

“Is that why you did _this_?”  Gabriel couldn’t help but taunt him.  “Another ‘hands off’ sign?”

“I did it because you said I could.”  Sam pulled out of the other man’s hold to rake his nails down Gabriel’s back, “So I _took_.”

“Mm, you’re in a feisty mood, aren’t you?”  He appraised Sam, scenting the air and it reflected exactly that.  “Do you wanna fuck me?”

Without his normal hesitation, Sam groaned out, voice wrecked and heady with desire, “Yes, please, let me.”

“I thought you were in a _taking_ mood.”  With emphasis on the word, Gabriel raised a mischievous eyebrow.  “You better take before I change my mind.  You won’t get another chance, once my rut hits.”

If possible, Sam’s scent of yearning intensified even more.  He didn’t have to be told twice.  Although Gabriel didn’t put up much of a fight, that didn’t mean it was going to be a walk in the park.    
  
He toyed with Sam, dodging him and sucking all the sensitive spots that left the younger alpha breathless and momentarily dazed.  Gabriel was distracting him and making him work for it, just for fun.

It got to the point where Sam grabbed the lube—to have it ready and waiting—because of Gabriel’s damn unpredictability.  Eventually Sam took joy in pinning Gabriel to the bed, using his knees to box him in, and hold him down.  Which the other alpha found very amusing.    
  
Sam, with all that fight and aggression in him, was on the verge of breaching his feral side and the true alpha found it an  _amazing_ sight.    
  
Gabriel surged upward to lick at Sam’s parted lips and invitingly spread his legs open wider.  “Your move, kid,” he challenged, as Sam fumbled with the bottle of lube.

After Sam's initial hitch, every action was certain and deliberate.

When he slid his first, long finger into Gabriel’s body he leaned forward and mouthed over the top of the already swollen flesh on his neck.  The skin was tender—plus the way Sam’s talented tongue and teeth worried it sent a surge through Gabriel’s body and shot straight to his cock.  Hell, Gabriel was bucking right off the bed, trying to choke down his gasps and failing miserably.  Sam hummed, this time moving more cautious to push in his second finger.

“You really must have missed me,” Sam whisper right against Gabriel’s ear.  “If you’re begging to take my cock.”

“Such a filthy mouth,” Gabriel didn’t miss a beat, “Figured I’d give you a break, before I break _you_ in.”

His last word was punched out, because Sam forcefully twisted and worked in a third digit.    
  
His scent was unraveling and Sam _knew_ he was rushing—hoping with all he had that he didn’t smell pain coming from Gabriel.  The other man must have used his spray-on blockers, because his scent was completely breaking through (it started in the car) and Sam grinned when it hit his nostrils.  But, fuck, his own dick was leaking and pulsing, needing to be inside Gabriel, but more importantly—needing them to be one.    
  
It didn’t matter who was fucking who, it just mattered that they were _together_.

“Can you feel it?”  Sam wondered aloud as he pumped his fingers in and out of Gabriel’s still-too-tight body.

“You in my ass?”  Gabriel barked out a laugh, “Y-Yep.  Kinda hard to miss—”

“I mean your rut,” Sam’s voice had taken on a note of fascination and intrigue, because it would ( _should_ ) be happening any day now.

The other alpha began rolling his pelvis forward to meet Sam’s fingers and groaned, “You wanna have that chat now?  Because I’m not in the mood for conversation.  Horny as hell, and I remember the little promise of me taking your cock.”

Everything from Gabriel’s mouth was violently defiant, and spurred Sam into action.  Because, that was right, the time for talk was over.    
  
Sam was allowed to give into the animal scratching under his skin, and with a rough hand, he flipped Gabriel over and grabbed the lube once more.  After all, if the alpha had the ability to talk back, Sam _clearly_ wasn’t doing his job well enough.  His job, he realized as he coated his cock with lube, was to fuck Gabriel incoherent.  And the alpha was too gabby.

He realized, after he brushed the head of his dick against Gabriel’s opening, he probably should have used another finger to prep him.  He probably should have taken more time and not let his boyfriend’s haughty quips get to him, because when he slid inside—the grip around his erection was impossibly tight.    
  
Sam grunted out and was rendered breathless at the sheer, indescribable sensation.  Once their bodies were flush though...he was _terrified_ he’d hurt Gabriel—

Sam was having a helluva time stinging together sentences, but he managed, “G-Gabe, are you—”

Which Gabriel answered with a lunge forward, followed by a slam back.  A moan was ripped from Sam’s throat as Gabriel fucked himself on Sam’s dick, then finally said, “Do I have to do this all by myself?”

Alright—that was read loud and clear.

Sam’s hands flew up and halted his boyfriend’s movement, taking back the control he’d momentarily lost and snarled at him.  He dug his nails into Gabriel’s hips, holding him in place as he pulled out and snapped his hips forward.

“That’s more like it,” Gabriel teased, but his voice was devilish and the words were forced.

It gave Sam all the more incentive to take him apart.

“Yeah?”  Sam asked with a husky drawl, and began driving into him faster.

With each thrust, Sam used the hold he had on Gabriel to yank him backwards and meet every one.  It was enthralling that he was allowing Sam to have this much control.  Normally even if Sam was fucking him, Gabriel was _still_ in charge.  Right now, he was giving himself completely to Sam, letting him fuck him however he wanted, and when Sam pushed Gabriel’s legs apart just a _bit_ more—that’s when the true alpha mewled and bucked backwards.

Sam knew this was the time Gabriel would attempt to turn the tables and take over.  And Sam was going to fight him for it.    
  
Now he _knew_ he’d found Gabriel’s sweet spot—so he wrapped one arm around Gabriel’s middle, holding him with an iron-grip, while kept one hand on his hip and relentlessly pounded into him.  Right where Sam _knew_ he could make Gabe lose it.

Gabriel thrashed in his grasp at first, but he soon realized precisely what Sam was doing.  Instead, Gabriel...let go and gave into the pleasure of each perfectly-aimed thrust.  The noises that rushed past Gabriel’s lips made Sam’s cock pulse just as much as the swift, building satisfaction inside his body.  Once he knew Gabriel wasn’t going to struggle anymore, he dropped his hand from Gabriel’s waist and wrapped it around his cock instead.

He jerked him off in time with the slam of his own hips, and soon Gabriel’s knot was swollen and gushing in his hand.  Sam was right behind him, moaning his boyfriend's name and cumming unbelievably hard into the alpha.  Holy hell, Sam had needed that feeling of completion, the feeling of intimacy with Gabriel in a way he’d hadn't realized he missed _so badly_.

Fuck, it wasn’t _just_ the orgasm that made him lightheaded that felt so good, it was being reunited, being one with Gabriel and—

“Shit.”  Sam cursed out, his eyes wide.  Now they were on their sides, which was something Gabriel had somehow pulled off when he was coming down.  His head was somewhere else when he rushed out, “Oh God, I’m _so sorry_ , I didn’t even fucking _ask_ , I was so caught up, Gabe—”

The other alpha grabbed his hand and squeezed it, “Chill out, it’s fine,” he assured him.  “I would have told you to stop if—”

“No, just _assuming_ I can knot you is a dick move, I didn’t mean—”

Alarm raced through Sam because he hadn’t even thought twice about it!  There wasn’t even a bare second of hesitation—

“Well, you do knot with your dick,” Gabriel pointed out with a laugh as he kissed Sam's knuckles, trying to coax him down from the ledge.  “Babe, _seriously_ , calm down.  Your scent’s going haywire and you’re killin’ my afterglow.”

“I…okay.”  He admitted defeat, only because Gabriel had told him so.

That didn’t make him feel like any less of an asshole.    
  
How did that happen?  It must have been because he missed Gabriel so much, he lost himself in the moment.    
  
But still—Gabe was right, if he didn’t want it, he would have stopped him without an ounce of regret.  Gabriel was a lot of things, but a pushover was _not_ one of them—if he wasn’t completely willing, he would have called Sam out, shoved him away with true alpha strength or used his influence.  He would have ended it right then and there.

“Hey,” Gabriel’s voice was just above a whisper.  “We just had _outstanding_ reunion sex.  Besides, this is your reward for my impending rut.  I don’t know what your problem is right now, but I thought that was fan-freakin’-tastic.  So let’s sappy cuddle and we’ll take a romantic shower after, yeah?”

With a puff of air blowing past his lips, Sam nodded, “It was amazing.  You’re amazing.  I—”

“If the next words outta yer mouth aren’t ’I love you,’ I don’t wanna hear ’em.”  It was a stern order.

So Sam had nothing to do but chuckle and state, “I love you.”

“Love you too, kid.”  He shimmied his hips a little, “ _This_ much.  Look at that proof!”

A weight lifted off Sam's shoulders at Gabriel‘s antics and he could freely grumble, “You’re a jackass.”

“Nice pillow talk,” Gabriel mused casually, and then brought up Sam‘s previous ill-timed inquiry, “You asked if I could feel my rut coming.  Not really.  I mean, I’ve been bitchy—so _please_ ,” he emphasized, “please, if I _really_ am a jackass?  Call me out on my shit.  Alpha aggression, and all that.  But nada on the fever or sexual side of things yet.  So I don‘t know.  Like I said, it's been a while, so I could be misreading the signs.”

“Got it.”  Sam couldn’t help but snuggle closer, Gabriel’s scent was calming after his near-anxiety attack.  “Call out your bitchiness.  It’s probably a couple days away, then.  If you’re not feeling any other effects.”

“I don’t know.”  He sighed, “It was almost the day after I stopped taking my suppressants that the bitchiness started.  So it may be sooner than you think.”

“Either way, I’m ready.”  Sam stressed his point with a firm, yet sweet kiss to Gabriel’s neck, noting the mark he’d left—which made him preen.  “I’m yours for the rest of vacation.”

“Hey—” Gabriel craned his neck around with an arched eyebrow.  “You’re mine.  Period.”

At this angle, Sam could reach the other alpha’s lips so he didn’t hesitate to kiss them.

When he pulled away, there was a dopey smile on his Sam's face when he acknowledged, “I guess I’m that, too.”

“You bet your ass, you are.”

\-----------------

Since Gabriel wasn’t sure when his rut was due, he was laying low.

Sam knew his own cycle, inside and out, which was why he always felt fine being in public the day before, it was reminiscence of his sudden visit to the bar.  That was because he’d never taken suppressants.  His body's natural clock was always on time, there weren't any surprises and he could read all the signs if he were to begin a day early to make preparations.  
  
Alphas taking suppressants were few and far between, Sam knew that, and his brother’s reaction was enough of a reminder.  After the omega’s bafflement and realization that it could only be because he was a true alpha, Sam wondered if that really was the case.  The more research he did in his free time?  The more the statistics baffled him.  Yeah—alphas and suppressants were much rarer than he'd initially thought.  Gabriel _must_ have a reason...

Not like it mattered.

Sam was monitoring Gabriel for him, which was comical in its own way.

He could scent some aggravation over petty things coming from his boyfriend, but they were never directed at Sam.  And, it was just as Gabriel said, Sam knew it was signs of the impending rut.

Still, Sam was confused.  Besides the mild annoyance and Gabriel getting into a fight with a jar of pickles—there weren’t any other tells.  None.

It almost worried Sam.

What if they were off in their calculations?

What if Gabriel started his rut the day before Sam was supposed to go back to school?

Of course, Sam would chose to stay here with Gabriel.  That was a non-issue.  But could he count on Brady to grab doubles of the syllabus for him?  Could he trust him to help him out with incoming homework?  Or would Sam have to get in touch with another one of his friends?  While he _hated_ the idea of being absent for the beginning of his second semester, he knew the professors would understand.

These were facts of nature.  Normal biological factors.

But… when Sam sent the email, what would it say?    
  
Would he lie and say that it was his rut?  Or would he say it was his significant others?  And then, would he play it safe and say he couldn’t come because they were going into _heat_ , or he’d come clean and just admit it was a rut?  Would he out himself to his professors?

God, he hated that it was so complicated...

“What’s on your mind?”  Gabriel asked from the doorway, while he stuffed his face with a bag of caramel corn in hand.  He walked closer and sat down on the couch next to Sam.  “Spill, bucko.”

“Nothing.  Just thinking about you.  And when it’s gonna happen.”  There was no use in lying about it.

Gabriel tossed a handful of the flavored popcorn into his mouth and watched Sam as he chewed.  Finally, after politely swallowing, he tilted his head and asked, “I thought we decided this was a good thing?  Your scent’s not doing too hot.”

“No, this _is_ a good thing,” Sam automatically replied, pulling Gabriel into his arms and snatching a few pieces of the snack for himself.  “I’m just wondering when it’s gonna happen, is all.”

“Hmm.  Yeah.  I’m no help there.”  The alpha scooted around until he was relaxing back on Sam’s shoulder, “I’m reading your mind.  I already know what you’re thinking about.”

“Oh, yeah?”  He asked with amusement, kissing the top of Gabriel’s head.  “When did you become psychic?”

“Always have been.  One’a my secrets.  You’re thinking about school.”  He said it so easily and nonchalantly.  “If it comes to that, I’ll be fine in-between classes, you—”

“No, Gabe, this was my idea, I’m _not_ leaving you alone!”  Sam burst out, then when he scented Gabriel’s amusement, he realized he didn’t need to raise his voice and dialed it back.  “It’ll be fine.  I’ve got friends who can send me what I need, and this happens to couples all the time.”

“ _Mated_ couples.”  Gabriel corrected, his voice teasing as he jammed some popcorn into Sam’s mouth.  “There have to be guidelines, kid.  Or else everyone would be using that excuse to take time off—”

Sam actually sounded offended when he retorted, “We may as well be mated.  We live together, we’re getting a house together as soon as this is over.  Not to mention, we’re in love _and_ we smell like each other.  I doubt you need to flash a bite to get a few days off.”

After a pause, the other alpha hummed, and his voice turned almost…cautious?  “Well, shit.  When you put it that way…”

“I’m right, and you know it.”  Sam moved their position enough so he was staring Gabriel down with determination.  “You’re not gonna win this one.”

A small smirk tugged at Gabriel’s lips and he cooed, “I love it when you get all worked up.”

“Don’t make me—” Sam huffed, but he and his bitchface were cut off.

“Alright, alright.  Yer staying with me.  I got it.”  Gabriel ducked forward and kissed him.  “Now, stop glaring at me.  Problem solved.  Besides, _I’m_ supposed to be the fussy one, stop stealing my thunder!”

All Sam’s frustration vanished because Gabriel let him win so he couldn’t complain anymore.  So instead, he reached into the plastic bag and returned the favor, packing the other alpha’s face full of food.  Gabriel was caught off guard, and when he began chewing, he looked like a friggin chipmunk with bulging cheeks.

Eventually, after he managed to swallow he spat, “Watch yer goddamn hands, giant!  You trying to kill me?!”

“Your mouth’s too big for me to kill you.”  Sam snickered and kissed his forehead.  “Give me some.  You’re not sharing like you should be.”

With a grumble, Gabriel finally sat the bag on his lap where they both could reach it.  Sam did it just to spite him, because one of the things Gabriel was funny about leading up to his rut was sharing.  Especially when it came to food.  Although Sam didn’t really have the desire to chow down on the snack, he did it to “call him out on his shit.”

After all, Gabriel was the one who asked him to do it in the first place.  Plus, the alpha was really fucking adorable when he pouted.  And he was definitely pouting right now.

Sam was happy they were in a comfortable position where Gabriel couldn’t see his victorious smile.

\-----------------------

Sam wasn’t going to say it out loud, but one of his favorite things after he got back from Christmas in Kansas was the fact that Gabriel had promised not to wear blockers in the apartment.    
  
The whole reason was so they’d know when his rut was about to start—but Sam had ulterior motives.  Like the fact he enjoyed scenting Gabriel’s emotions.  That he could read him in a different way than just words and body language.

It was a special something he’d never tire of.

The strip club was still closed for a span of time after the holidays.  It was the owner’s personal choice (he also made the decision to give paid leave to all employees) and Gabriel had already told the boss about his impending rut, he just wasn’t sure when.  So the fact that Gabriel was all Sam’s until further notice made him a strange kind of giddy.

Sam felt a fleck a gratitude and possession that he was the only one who’d be able to scent it coming on, rather than the countless omegas who worked there or all the bar patrons who Gabriel flirted with for tips on a regular basis.  Nope.  Sam had the entire experience, from start to finish, all to himself.

Sam continued to wonder when it was going to happen.  It had been two full days since he’d arrived home and Gabriel still wasn’t showing the signs.  There was still time, he wasn’t too worried about his studies and they were treating it like a vacation for the time being.

After all, domesticity was something that came surprisingly easy to them.  Sam had proudly shown Gabriel the gracious Bed Bath & Beyond gift card from Dean, and they’d browsed the selection online to see what they planned on purchasing.  Gabriel also told Sam he’d gotten an email back from the realtor who was in charge of selling one of Sam’s favorite houses, and she was excited to give them a showing after the first of the year.

All in all, everything was working out great, and they could truly enjoy their mini-vacation.  The couple had gotten a remarkable amount of things done they hadn’t thought they would have time for—which was always a bonus.

Sam was hanging up a few flannels in the closet when it hit his nostrils.

But that was just it.

It wasn’t the impending first hints of an alpha’s rut on the horizon.

It was much, _much_ more potent.

So much in fact, that he’d scented it from _rooms_ away and it caused him to whimper.  What the actual fuck—?

Sam had frozen with the hanger in hand and his head jerked to the doorway, waiting for Gabriel to come bounding through it and pounce on him.  But…he never did.

He hesitantly hung up the shirt and followed the mouth-watering smell through the hallway out to where the alpha was digging through the fridge, wiping his brow.  Like he had no idea his scent had _completely_ flipped like a fucking light switch.

“Do we still have that lunch meat in here or—” Gabriel abruptly stopped as he looked Sam over and took into account the younger alpha's dropped jaw and his lust-blown pupils.  “Why do you—”

Instead of answering him, Sam nearly stumbled over his feet, retreating backwards and collapsing into the kitchen chair.

“ _Jesus—_ ” Sam grumbled and physically had to shake himself.  “It’s gonna start soon.”

“I wondered, I was getting all hot and sweaty,“ Gabriel admitted, but tilted his head to the side because he was much more interested in Sam’s reaction.  “Are you a friggin Bloodhound?”

“Maybe?”  He ran a hand through his hair.  “I guess I’m hyper-aware of your scent and— _shit—_ I don’t know _why_ it’s affecting me so much.”

After slamming the fridge, Gabriel advanced on Sam with slow steps.  “I don’t know why either, but you look sexy as fuck right now.”  He leaned forward and grabbed the arms of the chair, keeping the other alpha just out of reach.  “Woah, you’re right.  It‘s happening.  Or, _happened_.  What the hell?  _How—_ ”

Sam didn’t care how little control he currently had over his body, he ducked forward and buried his face in Gabriel’s neck taking in his rapidly changing scent.    
  
It was growing stronger, amplifying by the second.  The reason _must_ have been because he’d kept it at bay for so long, that's why it was setting in so fast.  Sam had no idea what was making him act so impulsively, but he licked up Gabriel’s throat before sucking his earlobe into his mouth.  He faintly tasted of salt, from the beginnings of sweat and Sam couldn’t get enough.

“Holy shit,” Gabriel moaned before he grabbed Sam’s face and pulled him into a rough kiss.  “Are you gonna be my little slut, Sammy?”

With a sharp exhale, Sam laughed and groaned, “ _You’re_ doing it to me.  I can’t be held accountable because you…if you had _any_ idea…”

Gabriel surged forward to kiss him breathless because he could finally feel the fever brewing in his gut.  Now he was struck with the familiar, nearly-forgotten, feeling of his rut beginning to take over and Sam was doing nothing but _adding_ to the frenzy.    
  
It was strange the younger alpha had recognized it before him, but this was unmistakable.  The pure animalistic need to fuck, to claim the man in front of him, to dominate him in every way possible.

Arousal rushed through his veins like his blood was on fire and the driving force had him scooping Sam up from the chair and physically hauling him into the bedroom.

_Their_ bedroom.

Gabriel threw him down to the mattress and noticed Sam’s lips were already swollen from the aggressiveness of his mouth and teeth—the image went straight to his already hard cock.  The need to be naked was so urgent, after Gabriel pulled off his own clothes, he was almost sure he heard something rip when he was removing Sam’s.

It meant little in the grand scheme of things.

Now, he had Sam underneath him with wanting eyes, taut muscles and grabbing hands.  Which Gabriel restrained immediately and loomed over the other alpha to physically remind him that he was running the show.

Sam panted and arched up into him, teasing, “ _Goddamn_ , that happened quick.”

“Are you complaining?”  Gabriel watched him writhe, watched him struggle against his grip with a smirk.

“I’m complaining because there’s some kind of bullshit intermission happening right now,” he snipped right back.

“Just taking a second to appreciate you.  That a crime, Sammy?”  Gabriel rutted their erections together, moaning at the sensation, his eyes never leaving his boyfriend.

Sam tossed his head back and cursed, trying twice as hard to break away from Gabriel’s pinning force.

Deep down, he knew it was futile so he tried again with, “I thought ruts involved fucking.”

“Be careful what you wish for.”

When Gabriel released Sam, the younger alpha’s arms stayed put because Gabriel’s voice was surrounded in a low growl that acted as a warning.  Sam wasn’t sure he’d been more turned on in his life by this show and scent of sheer _power_ emanating from Gabriel.    
  
It only amplified when Gabriel jerked Sam’s head to the side and instinctively gnawed a giant bruise along the length of his neck at the same time he reached for the lube in the nightstand drawer.

Gabriel’s true alpha was barely being contained—Sam could feel it and smell it, and it was equal parts exciting and unnerving.  No, he _wouldn’t_ consider it unnerving because he trusted Gabriel with every part of himself.  No matter what the circumstance.  This was just a side of him he’d so rarely witnessed, it was…unique, in a way.    
  
Special and alluringly dangerous—

Sam’s thoughts slammed to a complete halt as he was flipped over with a face full of mattress and Gabriel was spreading his legs.

And then when a tongue plunged into his hole, it knocked the air from his lungs.

“Gabe!”  He whimpered and hated that his voice already sounded desperate.

He couldn’t help it, Sam was a goner from the very _moment_ he scented Gabriel while he was fucking hanging up laundry—!

The fingers that dug into his thighs, the way he was held him in place while his boyfriend ate him out, all of it was overwhelming.  Gabriel wasn’t holding back, and it was making Sam’s cock pulse and ache between his legs.  Hell, between Gabe’s mouth and the scent of his rut, Sam could probably get off like this in no time.

That didn’t mean his heart didn’t (impossibly) pick up in speed when Gabriel released the hold on of his legs and he heard the click of a cap.  Sam didn’t even have time to mourn the hot tongue leaving him, because two fingers quickly replaced it, circling and pushing against his tight rim.    
  
Gabriel was a force that never lost momentum, sucking love-bites into his skin as he worked his fingers into Sam’s opening.

Apparently, Gabriel’s inner alpha was screaming 'claim' at the top its lungs and wouldn’t rest until Sam was covered in his signature.

When he pushed in a third finger, there was more resistance and Sam made himself breathe deeply, to relax, and get past the burn.  This was _only_ round one, and he wasn’t sure how far gone Gabriel was—trapped by these faded-memories of hormones.  Sam wasn’t sure how to read his boyfriend: whether Gabriel was going to take it slow or if he’d even notice how tight Sam was.

The last time they’d done this was before Sam had gone home for Christmas.  Then, when he’d gotten back, they agreed they’d hold off.  The only sex they’d had was when Gabriel let Sam fuck him as his so-called ‘reward’ for his upcoming rut—and that was it.    
  
Sam hadn’t had the foresight ( _God_ , he _wish_ he had) to prep himself before this.  The hurried and frantic pace was making him pay for it.  Hell, Sam wanted it just as bad—he wanted it _now—_ but he knew he had to get his body on-board, or else it was going to ruin everything.    
  
He _couldn’t_ let that happen.  Especially since it had been Sam's idea and he who had convinced Gabriel in the first place!

Just when he got used to the three fingers plunging in and out of him, was when Gabriel added the fourth.

Sam had to bite down on his lip.  And hard.

It was then Gabriel must have noticed something, because his other arm moved from Sam’s thigh upward, to caress his side.  

He slowed the movement of his wrist a bit and draped his upper body over Sam, asking, “Is this too much?”

“No,” Sam was quick to say by snapping his head around.  Except...this _was_ a good opening, so he corrected himself by adding, “Just need a little more time.”

“Hey,” Gabriel reached up and ran his hand through Sam’s hair.  “You tell me when.”

With a fixed smile, he nodded and went back to mentally ordering his body to relax.  But then, he didn't _have_ to.  Because a moan was forced from his chest when Gabriel grazed his prostate.

Sam could scent the other alpha’s entertainment as he brushed against it again, causing a string of curses to fall past his lips.  Now, he was eagerly meeting Gabriel’s fingers with his hips and any discomfort was completely forgotten against the overwhelming pleasure.  Gabriel knew exactly how to play him, or rather _problem solve_ , in this case.  Because Sam was just about ready to start begging.

“‘When’?”  Gabriel downright purred, surprisingly close to his ear.  When Sam nodded enthusiastically, he finished with an eager, “Thank _God_.”

The other alpha moved fast.  Sam barely had a chance to whine about the emptiness of Gabriel’s fingers pulling out of him, because the time between that and the thick, lubed head pushing up against his entrance was practically nonexistent.  In the back of his brain Sam knew it was true alpha speed and agility, but right now all he could think about was pushing back and meeting Gabriel’s slow thrust in.  Which made the languid movement anything _but_.

It ripped a groan from Sam that was equal parts pleasure with a dash of pain—because his damn body was moving without him.  Gabriel cursed loudly and shoved Sam back onto all fours, trying to catch his own breath.

“I thought we were taking our time?”  Gabriel hissed at him, holding Sam in place.

“Can’t help it,” he grumbled pathetically and weakly defended, “Want you.”

“I know that.”  Gabriel was reprimanding him, his tone was utterly overpowering and caused Sam to freeze up.  “But no matter how bad I want you, I’m not gonna hurt you.  You'd think you’d have learned that by now.”

The younger alpha swallowed hard, unable to do much else.

“Are you going to behave and let me take care of you?”  Gabriel didn’t phrase it like a question, he began to slowly roll his hips.  “Are you going to use your _brain_ and quit thinking with your knot?”

“Y-yes.”  Sam finally managed to spit out, the sensation of Gabriel’s cock pumping in and out of him punctuated the single word.

“Good boy, Sammy.  Remember: let _me_ take care of you.”

It was the strangest thing, but words of praise calmed Sam’s rigid posture and allowed him to sink into the moment again, get lost in the hungry scents and the amazing feeling.  Except this time, he wasn’t arching backwards every time Gabriel’s hips slammed into him.  He didn’t need to, because the alpha was picking up the pace and his nerves were going haywire.  And…his body _wouldn’t let him._

Sam was along for the ride, moaning encouragingly as the alpha pounded into him with a brutal force, and there was no hesitation when Gabriel’s knot began catching on Sam's rim.  Just knowing that he was Gabriel’s and there wasn’t even a flicker of a pause was what really lit the fire in Sam’s belly.

The moment Gabriel brushed his sweet spot for a second time was all it took.

He crashed down to his elbows and came hard, trying to stifle his moans with the meat of his forearm.

Oh—Gabriel was _not_ having any of that.

He grabbed Sam by the back of the neck and continued his relentless thrusts, ordering, “No, I wanna hear you.  You _will_ cum again.  This time, on my knot—”

Sam was hypersensitive as he felt Gabriel’s knot start to swell, the concept made his body beg for release and quake, all over again.  Not to mention the way Gabriel was still manhandling him and when Sam caught a glimpse over his shoulder…it was all over.

Every snap of Gabriel’s hips was deliberate until he was blowing his load inside the younger alpha, his knot brushing Sam’s prostate.  He accomplished exactly what he set out to do.

Sam's system was overwhelmed with all things Gabriel, he lost all control, whimpering out his name on a frantic loop and coating the sheets in another mess.  He was a thrashing, wanton sight before the true alpha’s eyes and completely gave himself over to the rush of Gabriel’s demand and second mind-blowing orgasm.

The syllables were meshed together until Sam’s breathing calmed down.  Then he realized he had been rearranged over to the clean side of the bed, spooned and he heard Gabriel’s voice behind him murmuring, “Holy hell…” almost as breathless as him.

But not quite.  Because Gabriel could, you know, _speak_.

Sam was still working on it.

He had to swallow a few times while arms wrapped around him from behind.  His muscles were finally relaxing and held onto Gabriel tightly.  Sam was sensitive where they were locked together and that made him smile.

“You all right, Sasquatch?”  Gabriel asked, and there was genuine concern in his voice.

He hummed in affirmation, basking in the warmth of Gabriel’s embrace.

“You sure?”  He asked again, voice hesitant because of the silence.

“Yeah.”  Sam paused, knowing Gabe wanted more than just that, so he added it, “It was different.  But I’m not complaining.”

“Different?”  Gabriel echoed with a shadow of nerves.  “I, uh, kinda got caught up.  You think you can elaborate?”

“Just…”  He wasn’t sure how to describe it.  “Your true alpha shows.  _Not_ in a bad way, before you freak out.”  Sam’s voice was light when he chuckled at his boyfriend and continued, “I’ve gotta feeling you’re gonna let go more.  And I _want_ you to.  You worry too much and I want Gabriel, uncensored.”

With a scoff, he countered, “I don’t think anyone’s accused me of being _censored_ before, kid.”

“With sex you are.  Sometimes.”  Sam stated it like a fact so Gabriel wouldn’t argue.  “You think too much.  About what I'd think.  Or how I'd respond.  I doubt you’re gonna be able to control it, if round one says anything.”

Gabriel was frozen, clutching Sam in his arms, while his words were choppy and uncertain.  “Doesn’t that scare you?  Shit, maybe this was a bad idea and—”

“No!  God, no.”  He shook his head and knew there was a grin on his face he hoped reflected in his scent for Gabriel to recognize.  “I know you’d never hurt me.  If I could, I’d be kissing the fuck out of you, so you’d chill out.  I love you.  Like I said, it’s different, but a really fun, new different.”

There was a brief pause where Sam grabbed Gabriel’s lax hand and brought it up to kiss his palm.  Finally the other alpha eased up and nuzzle in closer to his boyfriend.

“If you say so, Sammy.”

“I do.”  His quip was immediate.  “And as soon as your knot goes down?  I’m gonna need a cigarette.”

“Heh, same here.  Oh, love you too, you little shit.”  Gabriel reached up and brushed his lips over the mark he’d left.  He couldn’t keep the smile off his face either.

Maybe this really was going to work out alright, after all.  Maybe he _could_ let go.  Gabriel had convinced himself of that the day he stopped his suppressants, but now that it was here?  Now that it was happening?  He felt his confidence return, because more than anything—he trusted Sam and his words.

\------------------------------

Gabriel had completely forgotten all the things that went along with ruts.

Although the majority of it was an uncontrollable sex drive, he forgot about the feverish heat under his skin and the lack of common sense.  Like he _knew_ he had to eat, but he wasn’t hungry.  He knew it was cold outside, it was literally a day away from January, but he still opted for boxers and a t-shirt when he went outside to smoke.  The only thing he _felt_ the need to do was shower.

Other things about this rut, in particular…were _new_.

He realized it had everything to do with Sam, and these things...actually scared him.

Gabriel was afraid he was going to lose control.  But…in a way he hadn’t anticipated or imagined he ever would, not at all.

It had nothing to do with fucking him, no, the young alpha was more than willing and accepting of that (the sex was passionate, wild _and_ phenomenal) but…shit.    
  
It was that fact that Gabriel and his stupid brain _couldn’t stop_ zoning in on the alluring expanse of Sam’s neck!     
  
It didn’t help that the kid willingly bared it for Gabriel as a sign of submission during the peaks of his rut.  But Gabriel found himself doing everything in his power _not_ to sink his goddamn teeth in!

Had Sam had this problem during his rut?

No, of course he didn’t.  Because Gabriel had gone without blockers and it had been a completely different situation.

Gabriel found himself sitting out on their balcony, contemplating all these maddening implications, while he inhaled his third cigarette in a row.  He looked out blankly while the frigid air helped combat the hot blood running through his veins and found himself lost in thought.

Today was the third day, which was the worst one of them all.

It was also why he’d sequestered himself outside on the porch, treating it like a glorified cold shower, while Sam slept.

It was still early.  On a day like today Gabriel hated being a morning person.

Of course, they’d had an amazing round of morning sex and Sam let Gabriel knot his mouth—a choice made so Sam could get back to sleep—but now Gabriel was feeling that itch again.

All while he was lost in thought.  It made for an...interesting combination.

Sam, by this point, already looked like a walking, talking, chew toy.  Gabriel had marked him wherever his lips and teeth could get to, because he couldn’t get enough.  Everything in him _screamed_ Sam was his, and everything in Sam’s scent (not to mention every word out of Sam’s mouth) agreed, so he’d taken to marking him up with zeal.  But Gabriel was frightened.

Frightened, he’d get so caught up that he’d slip up—that his teeth would _break skin—_ and Sam would be left with a fucking _pointless_ scar.  One that would ruin the both of them.

What was even more terrifying was the fact that Gabriel wanted it so badly.

That the fear was even there to begin with.  The entire situation was unprecedented!

Gabriel had  _never_  (not even once) gone through a rut where he’d felt the undeniable, forceful pull of _mating_.

Even when Gabriel was with Kali, even when they’d spoken of mating—that’s what it was.  A discussion.  Sure, they’d been madly in love but they’d also been clear-headed enough to _talk_ about mating, even during her heat or his rut!  It wasn’t some uncontrollable longing, a manic influence they had to physically distance themselves from.

So what was this?

Gabriel pulled out a fourth cigarette and his lighter with a shaky frustration.

It was then that he heard the sliding door shift and a sleepy, happy alpha padding out onto the porch with him, wrapped in a blanket.

“Can I bum one?”  Sam asked with a yawn, extending his hand.

Gabriel pulled out another from his pack and handed it, along with his lighter, “No prob, hot stuff.”

“Thanks.”  He lit it quickly and returned the lighter with an added kiss on Gabriel’s forehead.  “How’re you feeling?”

“The usual.”  Gabriel tried to keep his answer neutral.

“So…horny?”  There was a playful hint to Sam’s voice before he asked, “Aren’t you cold?” and opened the blanket for Gabriel to join him.

“Heh—”  He chuckled and shook his head, “It feels good out here.  And you keep showin’ me skin?  You bet I’ll be horny in the blink of an eye.”

There was a dopey grin on Sam’s face as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.  “Duly noted.  So.  Any wild plans for New Year’s Eve tonight?”

“I think I’ve got some champagne around here.”  Gabriel was glad for the casual conversation, it was getting him out of his own head and away from these kind-of-life-altering worries.  “We can make a toast, share a kiss, chat about resolutions.  Preferably while I’m balls-deep inside you.”

Sam’s chuckle turned into full-blown laughter and he looked over to catch Gabriel smiling widely at him.  It was small, stolen moment they shared in the chaos of the last few days and for some stupid reason Gabriel’s heart sped up watching and knowing he could make Sam laugh, just...exist, being so relaxed like this.    
  
He knew it was ridiculous, but he never thought he’d find someone who’d accept him again, let alone know all his secrets and flaws and actually love him.

Gabriel had to tear his eyes away before he said anything stupid and inhaled another puff of smoke.

“Sounds like we’ll be ringing in the New Year with a bang.  Oh hell, that wasn’t meant to be a pun.  That was terrible!” Sam scoffed and faked a shiver.  “I’ve been around you too long.”

“That _was_ terrible.”  Gabriel confirmed right away, flicking his finished cig off the porch and down into the street below.  “You want some coffee, my little struggling comedian?”

Gabriel rounded on Sam and grabbed the edges of the blanket to haul him down and kiss him before he could even answer, he was too damn adorable.  With his long hair sticking up every-which-way and the sheet looking more like a fucking cape (because of his height) than a piece of bedding.  Gabriel could never get enough of this man.

Sam leaned into the kiss and tried to chase it, but Gabriel held him at arm’s length with a raised eyebrow, waiting his response.

“Coffee sounds awesome.  I’ll be right in.”

“Good.  You’ll need your energy.  Today is the day!”

“That sounds foreboding.”  Sam called after him before he reached the sliding door.

“ _Foreshadowing_.  Too bad we don’t have an espresso machine.”

“Oh, God,” Sam lamented and Gabriel couldn't help but smirking, because they both knew damn well the next twenty-four hours would be very, very intense.  
  
Gabriel shouted helpfully, "You should start stretching!" as Sam finished his cigarette and—you know what?  
  
Sam may _actually_ follow that advice...


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More smut _and_ New Year's Eve fluff! 'Tis the season!
> 
> Hope everyone gets the most out of what's left of '17 and has a lovely NYE/NYs! God knows I'm ready for '18 to roll in! 
> 
> See ya then for my very first update of 2018 <3

The only way Gabriel found himself eating was because he knew he had to feed Sam.  If he’d been alone, he was pretty sure there was a good chance he’d starve.  Not literally, but he’d come pretty damn close.    
  
However his alpha-on-steroids mentality _also_ included the need to care for his boyfriend—to provide for him.  Once he was inside from his brief intermission on the balcony, the fever started to hit him again and he didn’t have the January cold to counteract the hot blood under his skin.  He had to rip his shirt off while he mixed up the pancake batter because he knew they’d need their carbs.

The coffee was done brewing when Sam returned, smelling like smoke, and Gabriel tried to concentrate on that scent rather than the alpha’s natural musk.

He needed to focus, dammit.

And it didn’t help one bit when Sam sighed at the warm air and he draped the blanket over the chair before he grabbed a mug to fill with coffee.

Fuck.  Gabriel couldn’t take his eyes off him.    
  
Sure, Sam was wearing his boxers and a t-shirt, but it did nothing to hide all the marks Gabriel had sucked along his neck and collarbones.  Not to mention the boxers were riding low on his hips, and even the briefest glimpse of skin was distracting.    
  
It physically pained him to direct his attention on the skillet and the pancakes.  Gabriel had to bite the inside of his cheek and barter with himself, ordering to his inner alpha that taking care of Sam was more important than fucking him right now.

Christ, he had no idea it was going to be this friggin difficult.  Especially when Gabriel prided himself on his willpower.

It didn’t help when Sam sidled up next to him and asked, “Do you need any help?”

“Go sit down.”  He didn’t mean it as the sharp command it came out as.

“Uh, okay.”  Sam scrambled to follow it: because he _had to._  “Sorry, Gabe.”

“No, no, no!” Gabriel ran a hand across his sweaty brow and shook his head.  “I’m sorry, I’m just— _fuck_.  Having a hard time right now.  Focusing.  It’s—”  He blew through his lips and finally flipped a few pancakes on the plate, “It’s not you, it’s me.”

“If I had a penny for every time I heard that one,” Sam joked, trying to keep the mood light, as Gabriel managed to slide the plate in front of him.  “I can scent you, I get it.  I’ll eat fast.”

“Nope, please, take your time.”  He meant it, then tried Sam’s approach of jesting to avoid the glaringly obvious elephant in the room.  “After all, you’re supposed to wait fifteen minutes before exercising, right?”

“Heh,” Sam snorted while he cut up his breakfast with the side of his fork and poured on the syrup.  “I know you.  I know your scent.  You sure as hell aren’t gonna be waiting fifteen minutes.”

“I hate this.”  Gabriel groaned, and it wasn’t even for the dramatics.  He was being completely honest as he opted to eat his breakfast at the counter, as far away from the other alpha as he could manage.

“Because you’re a control freak,” Sam said simply, sipping his coffee and watching Gabriel’s inner turmoil manifest into something physical.  “It’s fine.  Just gotta make it through breakfast, right?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Gabriel was inhaling the food like a savage, but he couldn’t help it.  He could barely taste the flavors because his mind was elsewhere.  This was sustenance, a means to an end, because what he really wanted was sitting there at the table.  Gabriel poured himself a cup of coffee, bargaining (once more) that when he finished the scalding drink everything was fair game.

Since he knew this coffee pot brewed a little too hot, and it’d take a bit for it to cool to an actual drinkable temperature.  He even forewent dumping any cream in to speed up the process.  Just sugar.  Lots and lots of sugar.

When he glanced up, Sam was grinning at him with a knowing expression.  Like he could read his boyfriend’s friggin thoughts or something.

So Gabriel narrowed his eyes and demanded, “What?”

“Nothing.  You’re cute.”

“Don’t you dare call my suffering cute, Sasquatch.  Do you have any idea how much self-control it’s taking for me to not bend you over that fuckin’ table, right now?” he asked in challenge.

“I _know_ , I told you—I can scent it.”  Sam sipped his coffee before he set it down and added, “I’m proud of you.”

“Proud’a me, huh?”  Gabriel tilted his head to the side, “Gonna show me how proud when you’re done eating?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”  His voice was strangely neutral.  “Because any promise I make is gonna end with you bending me over the table, right?  You’re on a hair-trigger, it’s…just, wow.”  Then he shook his head, voice hushed like he was speaking to himself, “I’ll never get tired of your scent.”

Gabriel turned his back on the other alpha immediately and turned to his coffee.  His still-piping-hot coffee and took a drink, focusing on the burn flowing from his mouth, down his throat and the journey into his stomach.  God, it was taking physical pain to keep himself away from this kid.

All of a sudden, Sam’s dish was clattering in the sink beside him and the younger alpha was boxing him in from behind.  His breath ghosted along Gabriel’s neck and he could scent both amusement and arousal billowing off Sam.  Was this a game to him?

Gabriel had to reach out to grab the edge of the counter in front of him to keep his hands to himself and demanded, “What are you doing?”

“You’re just as distracting,” he practically purred into Gabriel’s ear before he ducked down low enough to nibble the tip.  “Your scent drives me just as crazy—”

He couldn’t handle it anymore.

Gabriel snapped, whipping around where Sam was holding him captive and growled, “You’re _already_ pushing your boundaries?  Today.  Of all days?”  Gabriel grabbed his collar and hauled him down so they were eye to eye and he could see Sam’s darkened pupils.

“You don’t think you could handle a little challenge?”  Sam teased him, knocking Gabriel’s head to the side and forcing him to expose his neck.  “Mm, maybe I wanna play,” Sam nipped at Gabriel’s throat, and he may as well have _thrown down_ the fucking _gauntlet_.

And if Gabriel hadn’t been craving Sam before, now his inner alpha was roaring for him to take, use, force him to submit.  The fact that Sam was almost daring him did something, it unleashed the flood gate and the grip he had on his shirt turned into him physically ripping the fabric off his body.  

The shredding noise caught Sam off guard as Gabriel tossed the wrecked shirt to the kitchen floor, but all too soon they were grappling at each other.  It was like the instinctual alpha and omega chase that happened when inner animals took over, but this was two _alphas_ which impossibly elevated it to a whole new level.

Sam used his height advantage in an attempt to scoop Gabriel up, but the true alpha had nothing but strength on his side.  He was able to sidestep every one of Sam’s attacks, and forcefully began navigating them in the way of their bedroom.  At one point, Sam shoved Gabriel against a wall, which knocked a picture askew and sent it shattering to the ground.  But at the time, Gabriel had two handfuls of Sam’s ass while they were rutting together so he didn’t care.

He did, however, use the wall he’d been pinned against as leverage and pushed away from it, sending them both tumbling to the ground.  Gabriel ended up on top of Sam with the younger alpha’s legs wrapped around his waist as he gasped for breath.  With a grin, he took advantage of Sam’s stupor and pulled the boxers from his body.

Yet, when he was at the man’s ankles disrobing him, he didn’t expect them to lock around his neck.  He winded up getting physically _dragged_ the rest of the way after Sam disarmed him and gained the upper hand.

Sam looked so fucking full of himself when he threw Gabriel down to the bed and grabbed a fistful of his hair.  Sam lapped eagerly at his neck, sucking marks while his hand unceremoniously dove into Gabriel’s boxers.  The grip around his erection was heavenly, Gabe found himself moaning and thrusting into Sam’s fist, not minding in the slightest that Sam thought he was winning.  After all, he could turn the tables at any second, but the friction was something he needed so goddamn bad.

Then Sam did something that surprised the fuck out of him.

Almost mockingly, he took a page from Gabriel’s book and ripped the boxers from his body, rather than pulling them off.  With a cocky eyebrow raised, Sam made a show of throwing them over his shoulder before he draped his entire frame over the true alpha’s body.  There wasn’t a single inch of their skin that wasn’t connected as they began rutting together, but Gabriel needed more.

He growled, gripped Sam’s shoulders and rolled them around so he was on top.  To give the kid some credit, it wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be.  Sam really was putting in his all, using his own alpha to its fullest potential during this heated wrestling match.

“Holy fuck—” Gabriel couldn’t help grinning at him.  “You’re something else, you know that?”

Sam surged forward and sunk his teeth into the meat of Gabriel’s shoulder, hard enough to leave the indentation of a bite but not enough to break skin.

When he fell back and hit the mattress, he purred, “Remember?  You bring out the worst in me.”

A shock wave rolled through Gabriel’s body, a reminder of how bad _he_ wanted to mark _Sam_ and it was all he could think about again!  It was like the rest of the world faded away and all he saw was the other alpha’s neck.  Covered in the glisten of fresh sweat, the red and bluish hues of hickeys standing out in all their glory.  Holy hell, he wanted to mark him.  Gabriel's whole body _screamed_ at him, he—

Thank God he’d been distracted and Sam _still_ wasn’t bending over without a fight, because he took advantage of Gabriel’s momentary pause and kicked him onto his stomach.  The last thing Gabriel had expected was a face-full of mattress, but if it got him away from Sam’s throat—it had to be a good thing.  

With a victorious, “Hah!” Sam leaned down and grabbed the back of Gabriel’s neck, brushing the hair away while he pinned him down.  “I can see why you like this view…”

With his hands also locked behind his back, Gabriel sneered, “I’ll give you ten seconds to get a good look.”

“Oh?”  Sam countered and made the other alpha physically jerk when he teased the rim of Gabriel’s hole with his tongue.  “Just so you know, it’s not that bad—getting fucked during your rut.  I speak from experience—”

“Jesus!”  Gabriel shivered into the touch, as Sam repeated the motion, “You’re an animal, Sammy.”

He had to admit, sure, it did feel good…and maybe if his knot wasn’t throbbing right now he would have let him.  But the need for release inside his boyfriend was overwhelming and the taunting Sam delivered was just getting him even _more_ revved up—Gabriel was going to end this and his inner alpha also needed to put Sam in his place.

“Next time.”  He grunted, in the same moment he wrenched out of Sam’s grip, ducked over to the side _just_ enough for Sam to flail downward, his weight completely thrown off balance without Gabriel to lean on.

But Sam had the nerve to tumble to his back, looking all kinds of debauched and gorgeous underneath him, pouting out, “Could be fun.”

“What’ll be _fun_ ,” Gabriel’s voice was pitched low as he finally reached for the lube on the nightstand, “is when I’m claiming that fine ass as mine.”  While he coated his cock, knowing Sam was loose enough and Gabriel was physically unable to wait any longer, he asked, “How do you want it?”

With a grin but no verbal answer, Sam rolled to the side and sprung _off_ the bed.

Gabriel growled and chased after him, grabbing his hips with a death-grip before Sam could run out of the room fucking room!  He swung him around and bent him over the bed, slapping his hand across Sam’s rear with a satisfying ’thwacking’ sound.  The younger alpha yelped and looked over his shoulder with wide eyes as Gabriel narrowed his.

“You little shit—”

“Wasn’t going down without a fight,” Sam tried with a laugh, but his last word turned into more of a garbled noise when Gabriel spread his cheeks and slid his slick cock between them.

“I know.”  He didn’t waste anymore time lining up and sliding in.  He grinned at the relief of _finally_ , fucking _finally_ , being wrapped in that tight heat and realizing just how much power he had over Sam in this position.  Gabriel couldn’t help but taunt, “I think I’ll enjoy my victory now.”

Both their blood was already pumping, along with the adrenaline high of their alpha-on-alpha tussle, and the room was whirling in scents.  Sam was still egging him on, he tried to grab the edge of the bed to push back into him with every rough thrust, but he faltered because Gabriel refused to give him any leeway nor relent.

They’d gone from zero to one-hundred the second Sam began this game and the end was finally in sight.

Sam was a mess of gasps and whimpers, as he ordered, “Just like that, _fuck_ , Gabe, give it to me!   _Harder_ , now—!”

His boyfriend was being cheeky and gave Gabriel exactly the right amount of encouragement to completely ignore holding back.  Gabriel hiked Sam up so he could rut into the mattress, rather than be at the mercy of the awkward angle of the bed’s edge.  From here Gabriel could really use his weight to pound into Sam with the tenacity he was begging for and more.  The headboard was slamming against the wall and Sam was grunting and moaning just as loud as the rhythmic thudding.

“Is that hard enough, Sammy?” Gabriel asked in time with each unforgiving plunge into Sam’s body.

Sam could only nod, biting his lip for a second, before he craned his neck back and provoked, “So when’s the c-claiming start?”

He had no idea just how far he was pushing Gabriel’s true alpha to the limits, and while it was exhilarating, it was also terrifying.  Sam was writhing, he was having trouble forming words, but of _all_ words— _those_ were the ones he had to say?  When Gabriel was _this_ riled up?

“You’re already claimed.  Now I’m gonna knot the fuck out of you,” he barked out, “fill your ass up, I’ve already cum down your throat today.  You’re lucky I can’t reach that pretty neck, or I’d leave a reminder for everyone.”

“Oh, God!”  Sam shouted out, his body clenching around Gabriel’s, the scent of his release in the air.

Sam still kept pushing his hips back, voice wrecked, “A-All talk—”

A purely animalistic noise erupted from Gabriel’s chest as his knot swelled and his cum rushed inside Sam.  The same animal wouldn’t let him stop and neither would the younger alpha, so he kept going, kept fucking into him.    
  
He hauled them both further up on the bed, now that they were tied together he need to shift the angle.  Gabriel rolled his hips, chasing that second orgasm and in the process he felt Sam’s splash across his hand.  He couldn’t help but roughly grip at Sam’s toned and slick stomach, grip his hip bones and after a few more grinds he was blowing another load inside his clenching body.

For a brief moment, he thought about pushing Sam’s body even _further_ , but his rut was sated and the only reason behind that would be to teach him a lesson.  Gabriel had to remember they were just playing, no matter how intense it had become.

When they finally caught their breath, Gabriel asked, “Can you grab a pillow?” from where they’d maneuvered around to lay at the foot of the bed.

Instead of words, Sam grumbled and reached out with his long arms.  Gabriel had to lean with him because of the knotting but a random throw pillow suddenly appeared under both their heads.

After another minute or two passed as they collected themselves, Sam’s first words were, “You _spanked me_.”

“That’s because you were being a little fucker,” Gabriel defended himself, “ _You_ would have spanked you, too!”

“Yeah.”  Sam sighed out the admission, “You’re right.  That was fun.”

“Was it?”  Gabriel knew he was smiling as he trailed his fingertips along the length of Sam’s arm, “You know I think it’s sexy when you turn your alpha on.  That wasn’t just on, that was full-blast.”

“I guess it’s because I never can, you know?  And I knew I couldn’t hurt you.  I think this whole idea was a fucking amazing one.  Hell, for me too.”  He sounded so damn happy. “I’m gonna sleep really good tonight.   _You’re_ amazing, Gabe.”

“Still not too much?  We’re still doing good?”

“Still doing perfect.”  Sam flashed him a thumbs up, “Next time, more kissing.”

“I was worried we were going to chew each other's faces off.  Like zombies or some shit.  You almost ate my shoulder, kiddo.”  Gabriel glanced down and noticed the raised flesh.  “This would have been a dangerous round for a sweet make-out.”

“Which is why I said _next time_ ,” Sam seductively rolled his hips backwards on Gabriel’s knot, which forced a long moan from his lungs.  “And then, time after that, we can play rough again.”

“Y-you’ve got this whole thing planned out and scheduled, don’t you?  Are we on a time table?  I knew you were OCD, but I didn’t know you had a spreadsheet personalized for the dates and times of my rut.”  Gabriel snickered, spreading kisses over the skin of Sam’s back.

“Shut up.  If I had it on a spreadsheet, I’d have worked me fucking you into one of the sessions,” he quipped right away.  “You just look and smell so fantastic, it’s like your rut is contagious.  And when you talk about claiming me, I just—” Sam paused and shook his head.

“You just…?”  Gabriel prompted, because that was like a bucket of cold water.

“It goes straight to my cock.  I don’t know why, but I get obsessive over you.  And when you get _possessive_ of me, it’s a huge turn-on.”  He was loose-lipped in the afterglow to begin with, but right now Sam was speaking with a raw intensity.  “Why do you think I like it when you—sorry.  Never mind.”  He yawned, and as much as Gabriel wanted to push it, he didn’t.

Because...well, at least now he knew he wasn’t alone in his fruitless desire.

“Nap, kiddo.  Gotta feeling it won’t be too long until the next round,” Gabriel admitted since he’d already warned Sam that today was the day.  But, damn, if he didn’t just enjoy himself.  Gabriel hoped Sam had another round (or seven) of _that_ left in him.  He wanted his boyfriend’s alpha to come out to play more often.

\-------------------------

There was no joke about this day being intense.  It was a good thing they’d eaten breakfast, because Gabriel’s rut left no room for anything besides sex for the rest of the day.  Except, he promised there _would_ be a dinner—no matter how late—because they both needed it.  Everything was so physical, so carnal.

Sam wasn’t some submissive omega who would simply lay there and beg for it.  No, he was the exact opposite.  He was just as involved, just as active as Gabriel was, and it made the whole experience that much more mind-blowing.  Well, in Gabriel’s opinion.

It wasn’t simply about getting off, it was challenging, playful at times and even when they made love the act itself was...powerful.

He’d never been able to _honestly_ let his true alpha out like this.

But Sam could handle it.  He could handle anything Gabriel dished out and it was so fucking liberating.

And Gabriel wondered if the kid had any idea how much this…meant to him?  He couldn’t find the right words to describe it, it still boiled down to sex but it also had to do with not having to hide who (or rather what) he was anymore.  That was something he could never repay Sam for.

Even now, as Sam’s hips surged off the bed, he was still eager and hungry for Gabriel’s dick rocking into him.

Sam’s heels were grinding into Gabriel’s back while his pelvis was halfway on his lap, the true alpha watching every wanton twist and writhe of his body.  He wanted it so bad, he was practically fucking himself on Gabriel’s cock and he was happy to sit back and watch.  That didn’t mean he hadn’t already found Sam’s prostate and he was sharply hitting that perfect angle each time.

God, Sam had no idea how stunning he looked under him like this.

He was _too_ stunning.

Which was half the reason Gabriel had chosen this position—to keep himself away from Sam’s neck.  He’d already marked it up with purples, blues and reds, which his true alpha loved seeing, but there was still that chance he’d accidentally do more.  Gabriel thought he’d come to gain control over that impulse, but he couldn’t be too careful.

Sam was so close, Gabriel could see his knot nearly formed, which was why he was confused when the other alpha grabbed his own cock.  His first instinct was to tear his hand away, but Sam’s narrowed eyes made him stop.

“I wanna cover you in my cum,” he snapped, and then Gabriel realized what Sam was doing.

Instead of pitching forward, Gabriel braced them and used his alpha strength to completely change their position so Sam was on top, and purred, “Then mark me.”

Sam’s eyes lit up in bafflement while he moaned and shifted his erection downward at Gabriel.  Sam had to force himself to not close his eyes when the orgasm overtook him, and he watched with rapt attention when his knot swelled and he blew his load all over Gabriel’s chest and stomach.

Taking advantage of Sam’s stupor and his glassy, hazed-over look, Gabriel planted his heels into the mattress and started fucking upward into Sam.

Sam was cursing out, running his fingers through the mess on Gabriel’s body and his scent of arousal hadn’t lessened in the slightest.  That was when Sam began riding him, and _hard_.  Gabriel hadn’t been expecting it—the other alpha was ruthless—and it made him shout out when his own climax rushed through his body.

Gabriel also felt another wet, hot mess on his torso as Sam ducked forward and began kissing him furiously.  His hands automatically wrapped in the long brown hair while his hips continued to rock and Sam ground down against his knot.  It was only a matter of seconds before he milked another load from Gabriel, who had to pull away from the frenzied kisses to even begin to catch his breath.

When his head stopped spinning, Sam had pulled away just far enough to trail his fingers through the cum dripping down Gabriel’s body.  “You’re so fucking sexy,” Sam mumbled, his voice too hoarse to use at full volume.

“That was all you.”  He tugged Sam back, close enough to kiss his forehead, “I didn’t know that was your kinda thing.”

“ _You’re_ my kinda thing,” the younger alpha said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“I’m just saying, you’ve been so good to me,” Gabriel dove in for a lingering, seductive kiss, “maybe next time I’ll let you cum on my face.”

Almost instantly, Sam’s scent sizzled like fireworks going off and Gabriel chuckled.

“Well, damn.  So that really _is_ your thing?”

“Only with you,” he admitted sheepishly.  “I didn’t even know it until my rut, when you let me knot your mouth.  It’s just…I’m way too attracted to you for my own good.”

“The feeling’s mutual.”  Gabriel cleared his dry throat, “I promise I’ll make dinner.  Or we’ll order dinner.  God knows we need it.  Or,” he ran three fingers over his stomach and brought them to his lips, sucking them off, one by one, “I could have _you_ for dinner.”

Sam’s eyes went wide and he actually whimpered, “You’re gonna kill me.”

“Okay, I’ll stop.  Sex with corpses _isn’t_ really my thing,” he winked, “I need you alive for another two days.”

With a dramatically sigh, Sam collapsed against Gabriel then pulled them both to their sides.  “I think we should take a nice, hot bath.  Call for delivery.”

“Now you’re talkin’ my language.  Maybe it’ll help aching muscles.  We’re gonna be sore as hell after this.”  Gabriel paused, looking at Sam’s closed eyes and asked, “Speaking of, how you holding up?”

Sam didn’t bother to open them, he just shrugged, “I’m fine.  Really.  By the end, I’m sure I’ll be, uh, sore.  But I expected it.”  He head butted his way to the crook of Gabriel’s neck, where he took a deep breath of his scent.  “Mm, it’s worth it.”

Gabriel readjusted his arms around the other alpha and tried to find a more comfortable position for both of them.  While this wasn’t always ideal, they made it work.  He’d never take for granted all the times they could tangle themselves together like this.  Then the promises of a bath and take out?  Tonight would be awesome.

\--------------------------

The bath and ordering dinner had arrived much later than either of them realized when they finally looked at the clock.  Luckily, the last round and the relaxation in the tub was enough to keep Gabriel’s rut at bay as he searched for the mentioned bottle of champagne.

They’d finished their dinner and now they were a half an hour away from New Years.

Sam was draped out on the couch, stretching and sighing when Gabriel peeked out.

“Guess what I found?”  He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Champagne?”  Sam kicked his legs up to make room for Gabriel, waiting for him to pull out whatever he was hiding behind his back.

“And friggin _champagne flutes_!”  He proudly presented all three items with a grin.  “No idea how the hell they ended up here, and there was some digging required but we can pretend to be all fancy once the clock strikes midnight.”

With a hearty laugh, Sam decided to sit up and grab the remote.  “Okay, we’ll do this right.  Find a station that has a countdown and you’ll be my New Year’s kiss.”

“I better be.”  Gabriel took a seat next to him, placing the bottle and the glasses on the table.  “Unless someone else was planning on whisking you away.  Please tell me it wasn’t the delivery boy.  That would break my heart!”

“Shut up.”  Sam grabbed the back of his neck and hauled him into a rough kiss.  Then, he paused and pulled away with a thoughtful expression on his face.  “Now that I think about it…I don’t think I’ve ever had a New Year’s kiss.”

Gabriel tilted his head and smirked a little, “Well, we’ve hit a lot of firsts for you, right?  Here’s another good one.”

Sam’s eyes were warm and the stolen moment was full of love, rather than the heated sexual chemistry that had been burning between them.  It was then that Gabriel completely forgot about his rut, he was too lost in Sam’s content scent and the even stronger scent of adoration.  For some reason, Gabriel heart soared to know he could get this reaction out of his boyfriend because of a cheesy line about 'first times’ and whatnot.

“Yeah, you tend to do that,” Sam huffed with a happy tone to his voice.  “First everything’s.  And…” he stopped and cleared his throat.  “Never mind.”

But Gabriel’s curiosity was piqued and he scooted closer to Sam on the couch, noticing the faint blush on his cheeks as he watched the station he’d stopped the TV on.

“And, what?”  He prompted, unsure of what could _possibly_ cause the younger alpha to blush.  It wasn’t like they hadn’t been fucking for three days nonstop, or anything.  “You’re not getting outta my interrogation,” he said with a grin, putting his chin on Sam’s shoulder.

“I, uh.”  Sam looked down at the floor and finally mumbled something under his breath.

But it was something Gabriel couldn’t understand because of the softness.

“One more time?”  He pressed, and tried to keep his own voice gentle.

“I said, ‘firsts, and hopefully lasts, too.’”  Sam finally enunciated, his nervous hands constantly folding and unfolding.

It surprised Gabriel—he wasn’t going to lie.  But it surprised him in the most amazing way, and he didn’t want Sam to be afraid to say things like that.  _Ever_.  So he grabbed Sam’s chin, lifted it up and turned his head until they were eye to eye.

“Hey.”  Gabriel soothed softly, “Me, too.”

Sam’s gaze began to waver as he asked, “You’re not just saying that because of your rut and you’re hormone-crazed, are you?”

“I’m not hormone-crazed right now. _Perfectly_ clear-headed.”  Gabriel cupped Sam’s cheeks and coaxed him back.  “Besides, horny me would be more likely to ignore or get away from the romantic stuff.”  His voice was confident and joyful when he reiterated, in his own words, “I want you to be it.   _If_ that’s what you’re saying.  I’d be happy to be your first _and_ your last, Sam.  And I mean that with all of my heart.”

“Really?”  Sam seemed baffled at Gabriel’s words, which confused him.

“Really, really.  Is that so hard to believe?”  He brushed their noses together before he sweetly kissed Sam’s brow.  “You already know I’m head over heels for you.  Obviously, this rut thing proves how much I trust you.  If you have any other doubts, here’s me saying it right now.  I love you, and I _know you’re it_.”

Sam grabbed Gabriel’s wrist and redirected his attention to his lips.  He kissed him with a pure and sweet kind of passion, but it was also laced with gratitude and infinite affection.  It was a kiss that Gabriel found himself completely lost in, and for the first time, Sam’s physicality didn’t spark the need for sex.  It sparked something deep inside him, to show the other alpha just how loved he really was.

Neither knew how long they’d been like that, but in the background they could hear the countdown being shouted on the television, “Three!  Two!  One!  Happy New Year!” and only after that, did they pull away.

Both were smiling widely, as Gabriel reached for the champagne and uncorked it.

Thankfully, he avoided the mess of an airborne cork complete with fizz, and while he poured the drinks into both the glasses, he asked over his shoulder, “Any resolutions, Sammy?”

“I think I’ve got everything I want.”  He took the outstretched flute, and added thoughtfully, “Now, I just gotta make sure to hold onto it.”

Gabriel hummed as he took his own glass and looked Sam in the eyes.  “Well, if it’s got anything to do with me, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?”  Sam asked, raising a toast.

The other alpha clucked his tongue, “And leave your fine ass?” and shook his head, “No way I’m running.”

They clinked their glasses together and both drank the contents surprisingly fast.  Mostly, because Sam was eyeing Gabriel with a slightly _different_ kind of need.  The kind Gabriel felt the urge to take care of—as soon as possible.  Although their make-out didn’t spur on his rut, the undeniable desire to make love to the other alpha was blooming inside of him.  After all their words, their admissions, there was no way he could keep his hands to himself.

The glasses and the bottle was long forgotten on the table, the TV flickered off and for the first time: Gabriel led Sam to the bedroom by holding his hand at an unhurried pace.  It felt like they had forever together.

\-------------------------

When the fifth day rolled around, Sam lay on his back with the sun barely casting light through the windows and realized that, yeah.  He _was_ ridiculously sore.  It wasn’t as though he was overwhelmingly thankful this was Gabriel’s last day in rut, but there was a _little_ bit of relief because of the...state of his body.  And the fact he only had the rest of the weekend to recuperate before classes began.

It'd be difficult to explain to his classmates why he could barely walk from lecture to lecture, and why sitting took an uncomfortable toll on his body.  Jesus, he thought he was in shape for this!  Apparently, he’d thought wrong.  Then again, he hadn’t accounted for how riled up Gabriel would get him too, and how friggin hard _Sam_ would want to play.  And, _God_ , did he want to play.

Yeah, this had been fun in an unexpected way—roughhousing, not having to worry about how rowdy they were with each other and the adrenaline of their physicality even heightened the pleasure when they got off.  Just thinking about it made Sam grin, though every muscle in his body throbbed and he could feel the sensitivity and tenderness between his legs.  Hopefully today was easier on him.  On _both_ of them.

There was no way to predict it.

Especially given how long Gabriel had been suppressing this.

Then again, Sam had to remember if boundaries were pushed, Gabriel would take care of him afterwards.  So he was determined to take care of Gabriel, however he needed him, now.  They’d worry about later when it came.

The other alpha had yet to stir, which Sam thought was interesting (Gabriel always woke up before him) so he decided to take advantage and sneak out into the kitchen to make their morning coffee.  He pulled on his boxers, grabbed his phone that he hadn’t paid attention to for the last four days and silently padded into the other room.

The coffee was brewing, Sam was peeking into the fridge while he debated a smoke when another thought hit him.  If everything went according to schedule, they could be making calls about houses as soon as _tomorrow_.  Sure, this week had been massively distracting, but it was a distraction they’d planned for.  The _next_ plan was to find their home.

Their home.  Together.

After Sam had gushed like a little girl on New Year’s Eve, he realized that—yeah—this may be it.  Or, would be it.  He chuckled and rolled his eyes when he noticed he had zoned out looking at a block of cheese in the refrigerator and shut the door.

Wow.

While he grabbed a mug, he pressed the button on his cellphone and waited for it to turn on.  He checked it once a day, just to make sure nothing Earth-shattering had happened, but didn’t respond to messages because he didn’t want to start any conversations.  Not only was there no time for it, he lacked the interest in doing so.

He poured coffee into two mugs knowing Gabriel would get up sooner rather than later, and saw his brother had sent him a text last night.  So he clicked into it.  And immediately wished he wouldn’t have.

_Dean 10:44PM  
_ _hows ur ass doing??? ;)  welcome 2 the honorary omega club!!!_

Sam should have figured it would be something stupid like that, Dean was the only person who knew what he was doing right now.  Or, at least what the situation was.  He huffed at his brother’s maturity and sent him a response.  He knew deep down this wasn't merely an annoying message—it was Dean’s way of checking in on him to make sure he was alive.

_Sam 8:38AM  
_ _fuck you_

He set the phone down and went back to the fridge to grab the half and half, grabbing the sugar set out on the counter as he moved.  After he fixed their coffees the way they both liked, Sam was surprised when his phone went off.  It was rare his brother was up this early, let alone coherent enough to send messages.

_Dean 8:41AM_  
 _i wish_  
_last time i checked u were being fucked???  
U hanging in there_

_Sam 8:45AM_   
_Do you want details or something?  
I didn’t know that was your thing_

_Dean 8:47AM_  
 _no no no details just wanted 2 make sure the true alpha thing didnt go bad_  
_Shut up im being a good bro  
no1 else is gonna check up on u_

Sam stuck out his lower lip in thought, he got where Dean was coming from.  While their last conversation had been teasing, Sam understood where his brother’s worry stemmed from.  At least he had the decency to ask on the last day, rather than jumping the gun and being overprotective from the first.

_Sam 8:50AM_   
_I’m still in one piece thanks for the concern._   
_Today’s probably the last day so my survival rates are good_

_Dean 8:52AM_  
 _smartass_  
_ok  
txt me when its all over  & done w so i know u made it_

_Sam 8:54AM  
Will do.  Promise _

He purposefully threw in the word ‘promise’ to end the conversation then and there—he knew how bullheaded Dean could be.  That's when Sam heard tell-tale rustling noises coming from the bedroom.  He left his phone behind, grabbed both the coffee mugs and made his way back down the hall.

Gabriel was sitting up in bed, stretching out.  His eyes widened as he dramatically reached for the cup with an ordered, “Gimme!”

“Caffeine or me?”  Sam held it just out of range to harass him.

“Both?”  He made a puppy face, one arm still outstretched while the other waved him forward.

Sam put Gabriel out of his misery by handing him the drink by the handle and sitting on the edge of the bed.  Gabriel hummed appreciatively around his first sip, then ducked to the side to kiss Sam’s shoulder with a loud smacking noise.

He watched the alpha and tried to analyze his scent, because right now all Sam could smell was cheerful tendrils mixed in with the potent coffee.  It was contagious and Sam was smiling widely in no time.  When Gabriel caught a glance, he took one more drink and set it down on the nightstand before taking Sam’s away and repeating the motion.

Gabriel wrapped his arms around the other alpha’s waist and took advantage of gravity, tipping their weight backwards and onto the bed.

With a nuzzle against his neck, Gabriel inquired, “What?”

Sam blinked, stealing a look down at his boyfriend and repeated, “What, what?”

“You’re a Moose, not a parrot,” he teased, running his hand along Sam’s jaw line.  “What’s got you all happy this morning?”

“Uh…” he intelligently began.  “Just…everything?”

“Kinda broad, there.”

“Don’t make fun of me,“ Sam gave him the disclaimer, then with a shrug that bobbed Gabriel’s form resting against him with it, he tried to narrow it down.  “Just being here.  With you.  Then knowing the next thing on our to-do list is the house.  Even though it sucks knowing I’ve got school coming up, this vacation has been awesome.  I wish it was longer.”

“’Cause you’ll need the recovery time,” Gabriel poked him in the side.  “I’ll try to go easy on you today, I can kind of scent it.”  Sam opened his mouth to retort, but Gabriel physically slapped a hand overtop it.  “And I’m not making fun of you.  I’m happy here with you too.  And I’ve got word from those realtors in my inbox, right now, ready to plan a day for us to see the house.  It’s happening, kid.  Even if I gotta roll yer ass in a wheelchair.”

When Gabriel removed his hand, he replaced it with his mouth and crawled on top of Sam, kissing him eagerly.  The younger alpha didn’t seem to be too put out by being forced to shut up with this technique, because of the magic that was Gabriel’s tongue.  He sighed into the sweet kisses and appreciated that’s what they were—sweet.

Gabriel wasn’t making fun of him, like he’d asked—and now he was trying to soothe any ruffled feathers.

When he pulled away, his eyes were full of warmth and he candidly stated, “The good news is that my dick is somewhat under control.  Want me to make you breakfast while we’ve got some time?”

Sam found himself chuckling heartily and nodded his agreement with the quip, “Wow, your dick is under control?  First thing in the morning?  That’s something for the record books.”

“Careful, don’t wanna jinx it!”  Gabriel hopped off him and went to find his discarded pajama pants, deliberately avoiding eye contact.  “’Cause if you throw your slutty self at me, we’re not leaving bed anytime soon.”

“My slutty self?”  Sam asked back, his laugh dissolving into giggles, “Is that really what you think of me?”

“Eh, about seventy percent of the time,” Gabriel appeared thoughtful as he rounded on the nightstand and grabbed his mug of coffee.  “Let’s get this breakfast movin’ before you seduce me with your wicked ways.”

“Says the true alpha in rut.”

“Provokes the _boyfriend_ of the true alpha in rut.”  Gabriel clucked his tongue and threw the words, “You _love_ playing with fire, Sammy,” over his shoulder while he walked down the hall.

Sam followed right behind him and he didn’t have to say the words, not out loud, because they both knew they were the God’s honest truth.


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back to our normal Wednesday-Update-Schedule!
> 
> Here's my first post of 2018, and I can tell my amazing Sabriel readers that—not only will I be consistent with this fic—but I've got lots of longer fics written starring this very OTP that will be making a debut soon! I've also signed up for the Sabriel Big Bang (naturally <3) so there will be no shortage of Sam/Gabriel in my archive this year! 
> 
> YAY to 2018! I hope it's a wonderful year for everyone, and I know damn well I'm ready to take it on! So much love! xoxo

They actually made it through breakfast without Sam’s teasing, mostly because he knew where his teasing always landed them.  It was inevitable they’d end up back in the bedroom, but being able to experience a glimpse of normalcy that morning was refreshing.  What was even better was the fact they made it to the shower.

One thing that was a fact of life—well, their lives—was two alphas together made things…dirty.  It was something they had grown accustomed to quickly.  It meant dirty sheets and going to bed without showers wasn’t an anomaly.  If they cleaned up after every single round, they’d spend just as much time in the bathroom and the laundry room as they did anything else.

Which was why it was nice to hop in the shower after breakfast and wash away the previous night.

It was intimate and happened to be the place where Gabriel’s first round of today’s rut manifested.

He knew from the moment he scented Sam (specifically, his... _fatigue_ ) he needed to take it easy on him today.  That translated into grinding together and knotting each other’s mouths under the hot water for an easy clean-up.  Even though the spray beating against their skin left them dizzy afterward, Sam and Gabriel still washed each other with tender hands and enjoyed the clean glide of their bodies simply touching.

The pair took their time because even though neither wanted to think about—these were their final few days of stolen paradise before they were dropped back into the real world.  It was theirs to take advantage of, they had to make it count.

Unlike Sam’s rut that burst like a fever earlier in the day, Gabriel’s seemed to be weaning but not as slowly as they predicted.

Maybe it was because he’d been pent up for so long, but even though the space between flares was growing, the intensity…wasn’t.   _At_ friggin _all_.

No matter what, Gabriel was determined to make it work.  Mostly because he didn’t want to break his boyfriend.

Knowing they had more time in-between bouts meant Gabriel could actually cook something substantial, so he threw together a dish of lasagna that was baking in the oven.  Carbs were good—as was the cigarette poised in his fingers as he leaned over the balcony, cooling off again.  He’d given Sam access to his email to write the Realtor back confirming the best day for them to check out the house.

Gabriel knew Sam was probably craving some form of autonomy, and the kid may feel accomplished if he had something to do with the final steps of obtaining their future home.  Sam also mentioned he was going to double-check his class schedule and draft an email.  Just in case.

With a scoff, followed by a deep inhale of the menthol, Gabriel had mused about the “just in case my boyfriend can’t control his cock” euphemism of said message.  There was a good chance this _wasn’t_ going to be neatly wrapped up in five days.  Which made Gabriel wonder if he should start his suppressants, right here and now.  

The questions remained—would they cut it off?  Would the meds affect him in a negative way?  Would they do anything at all or would he be wasting them?

Gabriel had no idea.  And it wasn’t like he could Google it because Sam had his laptop.  Gabriel wasn’t gonna kick him off as soon as he gave him access!

Naturally, things had been going great, but lo and below: here was _the_ wrench.

As much as he wanted to be mad at himself, it wasn’t like there was anyone or anything to blame.  It was what it was.    
  
Gabriel mentally made plans, he'd try his damnedest to minimize any kind of knotting and they’d be in the clear.  But, _shit_ , that was the hardest thing in the fucking _universe_ when Sam was all sexy and begging for it.  Which he undoubtedly would be doing, because he was Sam fucking Winchester, his ungodly perfect boyfriend.  Still, who knew how long this would continue, and even omegas needed recovery time after their alpha was in rut for five days.

And Sam was an alpha who could potentially be dealing with it for longer than the normal span.  No—Gabriel wouldn’t do that to him.  He snuffed the cigarette out on the ledge and flicked it away from him but hesitated to go right back inside.  Instead, he took stock of his body and analyzed how he was feeling.

The thirst was quenched (for now) but his blood was still running _too_ hot and all his thoughts circled around Sam.  Rut-obsessively-so.  Gabriel groaned dramatically, even though he didn’t have anyone around to impress but himself, and then grabbed the sliding door to head back inside.

The younger alpha perked up from where he was sitting at the table and clicked out of something before asking, “How you doing?”

When Gabriel noticed there were about two minutes left on the oven’s timer, he threw some fake excitement into his voice when he announced, “Hungry!  You?”

Sam tilted his head with his brow creased before cautiously saying, “I’m hungry, too.  Smells great.”

“That’s ‘cause it will be.”  Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows as he grabbed the pot holders and watched the countdown.

He could feel Sam’s eyes on his back but chose to ignore them.  Instead, the moment the beeping began, he opened the oven door, placed the dish on the stove top and stated, “We’ll let that set up for a sec.  Be right back!” and headed for the bathroom.

If Sam thought something was weird he didn’t say anything, which Gabriel was grateful for.  Because once Gabriel was in the bathroom he shut the door, said screw it, and began to dig around for his suppressants.

While Sam was home for vacation, when he had his day off and was going mildly crazy: he’d cleaned.  The reason for his cleaning wasn’t for sanitation (although that was obviously part of it)—it was mostly making sure Sam had the room he needed for his things.  It was also to group his own belonging together to get ready for the move.  Gabriel had tossed out some old crap he didn’t need anymore and scooted around the things that he did.  But since he stopped his suppressants, he wasn’t sure where the hell he had put them!

Gabriel was plopped on his ass on the tile floor, rummaging through the cabinet under the sink when he found them.  But when he opened the pack...he realized there were only three pills left.  And after that he’d need a fuckin’ refill.  Which could mess things up even _more_.  What if he took these to stop his rut, then went cold turkey and his hormones flared up for an attempted round two?

He grunted in frustration and wanted to kick something!  It all came crashing back, Gabriel remembered his plan had been to ride this wave out, naturally let his body reconfigure, then head back to the doctor when had the day off or felt like it.    
  
After all, when his rut finished he’d have a few months until his next was due without suppressants, so there was plenty of time.  Gabriel couldn’t have predicted the need to physically stop it, his cycle taking on a life of its own.

It wasn’t like Gabriel could make an appointment now, or even sit through an office visit while he was still in fuck-or-die mode!  Hell, he couldn't skip the line anymore and call Meg to snatch him some from her pharmacy contacts!  ...Gabriel kinda missed that little loophole...

There was a knock at the door and an awkward, “Uh… Gabe?  Are you okay in there?”

“Peachy.”  He jumped to his feet and stuffed all the random things he’d tossed out back into the cabinet.  “Just, uh, looking for something.  Sorry, guess it’s time for us to eat, huh?”

When he swung the door open, Sam was watching him curiously but nodded slowly.  “Yeah.  I didn’t mean to bug you, what were you looking for?”

“Sex toys,” Gabriel replied easy with a wink.  “But now I’m looking for lasagna!  Let’s get to it!”

With an unimpressed bitchface, Sam cleared the way and commented, “Because you obviously keep all your sex toys in the bathroom.”

“Yup.”  He decided to stop Sam in the hallway and push him against the wall to kiss the disgruntled look away.

Luckily it worked, because the younger alpha’s scent turned upside down and he was grabbing at Gabriel's hips in no time.  Which was a _terrible_ idea, because now the last thing on Gabriel’s mind was friggin lunch.  But.  It _had_ to be.

With a huff, he pulled away and flicked his tongue across Sam’s upper lip.  “Food.  Then play.  I slaved away making it, after all!”  The words were, more or less, to convince _himself_ not to drag Sam to the bedroom right then, because they were already so close in proximity already.  “Plus, it was your request I made it with mushrooms instead of beef.”

“Heh.”  Sam allowed Gabriel to pull him into the kitchen and admitted, “You _did_ do that for me.  And I am really hungry…”

“There we go.  Gotta keep my Sasquatch big and strong!”  He swung the younger alpha over to his usual chair and retreated back to the lasagna, armed with a spatula.  “Now put the computer aside and get ready to stuff your face.”

\-------------------

Although their lunch was as delicious as both had come to expect of Gabriel’s cooking, a different kind of hunger had began to build by the time it was finished.  Sam was hesitant as he turned back to the laptop, eyeing Gabriel to see what his next move was.

But…the fact was: _Gabriel_ didn’t even know what Gabriel’s next move was.

He was at odds with himself, because he was beginning to sweat again and the fire was building back up in his veins.  Just as strong as before.  But there were dishes.  And leftovers that needed to be tended to.  So he would try to put this off as long as possible.

Gabriel moved mechanically and shakily as he stood up, an obvious erection beginning to tent his pajama pants while he collected the plates.  He ran the water, allowed them to soak in the sink while he grabbed the Tupperware and scooped the remaining food into the tubs.  It didn’t help that during his self-appointed chores he could feel Sam watching his every move like he always did when Gabriel showed these obvious signs.  It didn’t help at all.

Not to mention, Sam’s scent was reflecting his own internal problem.  They fed off one another, and that was part of the problem.  Maybe the very reason Gabriel's internal-burner continued to dial up to 'high' every fucking time.

After he finished those chores, Gabriel removed himself from the situation to walk down the hallway and collapsed on the bed.  He needed to take a breather.  Five days was enough time to be without self-control, and now it was starting to wear on him.  Gabriel wanted his damn sex life to be back on his own terms.  He didn’t want to be completely consumed and overpowered by this obsession anymore, and the fact that fifth day still hadn’t shown signs of slowing meant—

“Hey.”  Sam’s voice stopped his stewing, as did a shirt being thrown over his face.

When he pulled it away and glanced over, Sam was staring at him with that come-hither gaze and approaching the bed, his thumbs hooked at the waistband of his boxers.  Gabriel’s mouth went dry as the younger alpha confidently stripped naked and crawled onto the bed next to him.  Almost like he was daring him to do something.

Instead, Gabriel cleared his throat and greeted right back, “Hey.”

With a tilt of his head, Sam scented the air and shook his head with a smirk.

“What?” Gabriel asked indignantly, disliking the fact that his boyfriend was (more or less) mocking him.

“You’re pouting,” he responded nonchalantly while his hand disappeared under Gabriel’s shirt and he teased and traced his fingertips over his fevered skin.  “It’s cute.”

While the alpha’s body responded eagerly to the touch, Gabriel snipped back, “I’m not pouting, I’m—”

“Not taking advantage of me.”  Sam cut him off, and added seductively, “While I’m right here next to you.  Naked, waiting and hard.”

Gabriel had to bite his lip to keep from moaning.  He wondered if the kid knew the effect Sam’s words had on him.  The other man’s hand remained under Gabriel's shirt and caressed his side, then gripped his hipbone with a bit more aggressive touch.    
  
Sam was trying to lure Gabriel into _moving_ , and Gabriel was trying to force himself to _be still_.     
  
When all he wanted was to tackle Sam to the bed and—

“Sit on my face.”  The order was out of Gabriel’s mouth before he could realize what the hell he was saying.

Then he realized it was a fucking _fantastic_ idea and his cock throbbed in agreement.

Sam’s eyes widened comically large before they darkened with lust and he slowly pronounced, “Did you—”

“You heard me,” Gabriel growled, ripping Sam’s hand away from where it was still gripping his side and it spurred him into motion.  He let his true alpha voice bleed through as he commanded, “I’m gonna eat you out and make you scream.”

The younger alpha couldn’t say no even if he wanted to.  Before he knew which way was up, he’d crawled the rest of the length of the bed and Gabriel maneuvered him just the way he wanted him.  Sam’s heart was beating fast, he felt strangely exposed in bright afternoon light as he straddled Gabriel’s head and the alpha had two handfuls of his ass.  Then, any apprehension was a distant memory the moment his tongue brushed across Sam’s opening.

“Gabe—!” he yelped and doubled over on his haunches as Gabriel’s tongue plunged all the way inside his loose and used hole.

There was no warning, just the overwhelming sensation of the wet, hot glide sliding in and out of him with _thorough_ enthusiasm.  Sam hadn’t thought it possible, but the depth and teasing laps inside him reminded him _precisely_  how well-fucked he was, and it left him gasping.

Gabriel pulled away just far enough to trace a feather-soft line along his perineum and mouthed at his balls.  His hot breath made Sam shudder from head to toe, and it quadrupled when Gabriel sucked one ball into his mouth.  Sam reached out for something to grab, being consumed by his senses catching on fucking fire, and it only got worse when Gabriel hummed his amusement.

Sam could barely steady himself when Gabriel changed his movements to teasing kisses between Sam’s legs.  And just when he thought he could collect himself again—he was dead wrong.

This time, when Gabriel flicked his tongue across Sam’s hole he braced himself with a dropped jaw and an arched back.

But nothing happened.

Sam was rigid and waiting for an assault that never came.

Slowly, he felt the light, wet pressure circling his puckered entrance—but that was it.  And now Sam felt like he was going to snap!

That’s when he realized...Gabriel was messing with him.  He’d given Sam a mind-blowing preview, and Gabriel was waiting for him to beg for it.  The bastard had turned this into a goddamn game and was waiting for Sam to beg him for _more_.  He could practically _feel_ Gabriel grinning and he wanted to wipe that smirk off his fucking face!  _...If_ Sam didn’t want it so fucking bad.

“I hate you,” Sam whimpered and shook when his words earned him another long, languid stroke around his hole, but still not inside him.  So he decided to finish with a desperate, “If you don’t eat me out, I will fucking suffocate you.”

Gabriel chuckled and pressed, “Can I get a please?”

“Please!”  It was shouted in exasperation, but once it left his mouth, Gabriel didn’t hold back.

He swirled his tongue again, each rotation lapping deeper and deeper inside the younger alpha who was trying not to grind down into the touch.  Soon, Gabriel’s tongue was back to licking him open and one of his hands reached up to wrap around Sam’s cock.

Sam had been so caught up, reeling in the moment, the second Gabriel’s hand started fisting his dick his focus jerked down to realize he was about ready to explode.  The staggering pleasure wasn’t coming from Gabriel jerking him off, it was from him coaxing his nearly-formed knot.  Sam was baffled at how fast that had happened, but now he was just about to blow and—

Suddenly, Sam found himself shoved backwards and rearranged all over again, now straddling a mischievous Gabriel's torso.  At first, he was confused as hell, riding so close to that brink—but the second Gabriel opened his mouth...he understood everything.

The way Gabriel watched Sam was downright pornographic, as he raked his nails over Sam’s thighs and pronounced, “Thought you wanted to cum on my face, Sammy.”

“ _Holy fuck—_ ”

Just those words had Sam’s orgasm crashing down on him like a fucking tidal wave as he grabbed his pulsing cock and gave it a few more jerks.  The way Gabriel was hungrily watching him, the gorgeous view as he painted and claimed his boyfriend, everything leading up to it—it was almost too much.

Gabriel had to reach up to keep Sam from tipping over, as the younger alpha pitched forward and braced his hands on either side of Gabriel’s head.  He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips.

“Y-you’re amazing.”  Sam was incapable of keeping the words at bay, as he lowered his hand (once he was sure he wouldn’t fall over) and cupped the side of Gabriel’s face, brushing his thumb through the mess on his cheek bone.  “Jesus, you’re so fucking perfect—”

With a quick move, Gabriel tilted his chin and nipped at Sam’s thumb, sucking it into his mouth and sucking off the cum.  Gabriel never broke eye contact with the younger alpha, and his scent of arousal heightened even further, now that he had the taste of Sam’s release—Sam’s _satisfaction—_ on his tongue.  

That was when Sam realized that Gabriel had been spoiling and distracting _him_ , when it was the true alpha who was still in rut.  Just for the briefest moment, the fleeting question of how he got such an unbelievable boyfriend rushed through his mind, before Sam remembered that he had been the one to come in the bedroom to seduce Gabriel.  God, he always ended up throwing Sam for a loop.

This turned table, however, was one Sam had been dreaming about for a while.

Now, he had a favor to repay.

Sam flashed an equally impish smile as he ripped Gabriel’s shirt off, helping him clean up his face in the process, and tore off his bottoms.  Except, after he grabbed the lube and ripped off Gabriel’s boxers, the alpha stopped him.

“Well, that’s awkward...”  He chuckled and grabbed Sam’s face again to kiss him for the first time in too long.  “Guess that’s what you do to me, kid.”

Although Sam kissed him back, he shook his head and reached down to wrap his hand around Gabriel’s cock.  Where his knot was _already_ halfway formed at the base.

Sam still reached for the lube and poured it into his palm, then coated Gabriel’s erection.

With a sigh, Gabriel nibbled Sam‘s lip and teased, “I don’t even get your mouth?  Just a slicked up hand job?”

“No,” Sam countered with a Cheshire-like grin and shimmied down the length of Gabriel’s body.  “I’m gonna ride you—”

“ _Woah—_ ” Gabriel’s hands shot out to stop Sam immediately, “No, you’re _not_.”

“Yes, I _am_ ,” he retorted with just as much force and attempted to ease Gabriel’s rigid arms with his soft, pliant touch.  “I can take it, I know I can,” Sam assured Gabriel and added with a seductive lilt, “And I _need_ to feel you inside me.  Just trust me.”

While Gabriel was shaking his head, he didn’t use words.  He just stared at Sam with disbelieving eyes and confusion.  Obviously, they’d been screwing like rabbits and he didn’t need prep anymore, but there was a difference between skipping foreplay and taking a nearly-swollen knot, one that would have _already_ caught inside Sam if they’d been fucking.

“I _can’t_ hurt you.”  Gabriel emphasized each word with the heavy weight that they carried.  “I can’t, Sam.”

“You won’t, this is gonna feel good,” Sam purred, kissing down his boyfriend’s body, then added, “Plus, I’m extra relaxed because you just gave me the best orgasm of all time.  Let me return the favor.”

And, dammit, if Gabriel wasn’t at odds with himself.    
  
While Gabriel hated how confident Sam sounded, Sam fucking hated it because of how confident Gabriel was that it _wouldn’t_ work.  That he’d fucking tear him in half or—

Sam rolled back up his body and let the slick head of Gabriel’s cock tease over his already spit-slick entrance.  He watched the true alpha carefully, whose scent was a push and pull of overwhelming lust, fear and love.  He was waiting on Sam and he was scared.    
  
Which was something that Sam’s nose had never really picked up on when it came to Gabriel, but he was trusting Sam.

And all Sam wanted to do was give back.

It was an easy glide—the head of Gabriel’s cock sliding into Sam’s hot body, and it remained smooth until the inevitable obstruction.  Sam lifted himself up off the length of Gabriel’s cock, and back down, setting a slow rhythm to get the alpha to calm and it drew a long moan from his throat.  Oh, that got Sam’s still-hard cock stirring, and he had no doubt once Gabriel was fucking him, for real this time, he’d cum again in the blink of an eye.

But now, Sam had to concentrate.  Concentrate on easing his own body.  It wasn’t a completely swollen knot, it wasn’t something that could tear him apart if it was pulled out of him.  An omega could take this, no problem.

_That_ was a thought that fueled a different kind of fire.

This _wouldn’t_ be a problem for an _omega_ , pleasing their mate.

Sam didn’t know why, but that idea just locked in his brain and made this _so much more_ important.  He had to make Gabriel feel that fantastic release, his boyfriend did _everything_ for him…

He relaxed his body and concentrated on breathing while he swiveled his hips—attempting to work it deeper inside him.  Gabriel was trying to keep his hips still, because the way Sam ground against him gave him all kinds of pleasure.  Which would have been more than enough, if Sam was thinking clearly.  But he wanted more—

“Babe, you feel good just like this—” Gabriel moaned, watching him through half-lidded eyes, reaching out because he wanted to kiss him.

“Gonna make it feel _great_ ,” Sam promised in a soothing voice, running a hand through Gabriel’s hair because he could feel it—even though his rim was taut and stretched so far, he was _so_ fucking _close—_

That’s when he decided fuck it.

Sam ducked down to cover Gabriel’s lips with his own in a searing, passionate kiss while he used his body weight instead to get that final push he needed and _slammed down_ so their hips were flush.    
  
A wanton groan was ripped from Gabriel’s lungs at the same time a shock of something _else_ shot through Sam’s spine.  But at the last minute, Sam managed pulled off a lusty whine and an honestly thankful sigh.

The point was—he’d done it.  The draw to make Gabriel happy and the scent of blissful euphoria sizzling outwards was getting Sam drunk and made it worth it.  So he started sucking on Gabriel’s neck as the alpha began arching his hips up off the bed and into Sam.  Although Sam was still catching his breath, trying to regroup from the jolt of pain, he wasn’t going to show it.    
  
And he sure as hell wasn’t going to complain when Gabriel rolled him over to his back and took over completely.

He knew the true alpha was trying to show his appreciation when he quickly found his prostate, and Sam’s sensitive body was beginning to spark anew.  Gabriel rolled his hips with determination, with dediction, just like he’d done with everything during this encounter.   _Fuck_ , Sam wasn’t sure how many brain cells he’d have left by the end of the day.

That was his story if asked why he started moaning out, “I love you”s rather than “fasters” or “harders.”    
  
Gabriel didn’t seem to mind in the least.  He could scent when they were both close.  That’s when he took Sam’s cock into his hand once again and started pounding into the younger alpha with a frantic vigor.

Sam could feel the tugs of Gabriel’s knot, and he could feel it swell as he came, more acutely than he ever had in the past.  While some of the harsher jolts weren’t the best of feelings, the thickness grinding against his prostate and the rush of cum felt so amazing—Sam was spilling over both of them this time.  He sat up just enough to cling to Gabriel’s shoulders, to pull him close and scent him.

He couldn’t explain it, but Sam  _needed_ to make sure he made his alpha happy.  That he’d taken care of Gabriel the way he’d taken care of Sam.  The small headbutt and the brush of lips against his were just as good as phrases or scent.  Gabriel kissed him hard before melting into something softer and sweeter.

Even though in the moment he’d craved completion and getting off, now Gabriel was whispering, “Love you too, Sammy.  So good to me.”

Those words made him glow and made _everything_ worth it.

Sam smiled widely and made hesitant eye contact with Gabriel, not because he was afraid or nervous, he knew his joy overwhelmed those feeling—but because he was worried he may get turned on all over again if there was still evidence of Sam on Gabriel’s face.  Luckily, the quick shirt-wipe-up job had done the trick, and Gabriel raised an eyebrow at his expression.

“What?”

“Nothing.”  Sam chuckled, “You’re the one who’s good to me.  That’s all.”

“Mm.”  He looked a little dazed, “Yer sweet.  Nap?  Think I’m going into a food-coma plus you-coma.”

“I’d like that,” Sam agreed as they both shuffled around and grabbed the blanket they kept on the edge of the bed for these exact circumstances.  “Sweet dreams.”

Gabriel nodded, kissed Sam’s forehead and just like that—he was out.

It took Sam a while longer to fall asleep.

\----------------

There was a very good chance that Sam never napped, not even a wink.

Although Gabriel happily nodded off, content and sated, the other alpha was more or less waiting for the knot that tied them together to shrink so he could make his escape.  Well, not really an _escape—_ he wasn’t ditching Gabriel and heading for the hills.  But Sam needed to get in the shower for the second time that day.  And he needed to do it quickly.

This time, it had nothing to do with cleaning the cum from his body.

Gabriel was (thankfully) out light a light when Sam untangled himself from the alpha’s arms and padded into the bathroom.  He couldn’t count the times on one hand that he’d been awake when Gabriel hadn’t—his boyfriend both a notorious early riser and a light sleeper—so luck was on his side.

Sam desperately needed all the luck he could get.

Because he had been a _fucking idiot_.

Before he even hopped in the shower, his suspicions were confirmed by the cum dripping down between his thighs.  Or, more specifically, the pinkish hue mixed in with it.  One glance coupled with ground teeth from vexation was all it took to jump under the cold spray, not bothering to wait for the water to warm up.  He wanted to be washed clean.

Sam knew he was a hard-headed jackass, and he’d gone against the one thing Gabriel had practically _begged_ him not to do: to hurt himself.     
  
Except...in the moment, with the rush of adrenaline and all the reckless omega-related fucking thoughts and internal provocations Sam was screwing himself up with...he did it anyway.

When they were laying together, sure, he’d felt the soreness that went along with a week of intense, rut-fueled sex—but there was also a sharper pain when Sam shifted just _so_.    
Shit.  Back when Sam actually committed to the act, any consequences were the last thing on his mind.  He was still running high with heady hormones, chasing another orgasm but most importantly: feeding the bone-deep need to please his alpha.

It was so goddamn stupid.  Sam knew it.  And while he was fine (sure, it kind of hurt—especially when he was trying to scrub away all traces of scent and blood—alright, it hurt like a bitch) but when _Gabriel_ found out he was going to _flip_.

The ironic part was that it didn’t bother Sam enough to create a scent of pain, the inevitable tell would be his goddamn nerves and anxiety.    
  
Of course, he would go and fuck something up!  They’d had an amazing week, better than either could have imagined, and now Sam had gone and ruined it in the homestretch...

Sam had nearly scrubbed his skin raw by the time he got out of the shower and then paused when he wrapped the towel around his waist.

What if…

What if he used some of Gabriel’s blockers?

Once again, it was his _anxiety_ that would give him away—he could damn well push through any physical pain—but what could he use as an excuse?  Then, if he managed to pull it off, would there be a lingering scent of blood in the bedroom?

Sam highly doubted it.  Their combined scents, the amount of sweat and cum on their sheets, their bodies, their discarded clothes would cloak the small hint that Sam was almost positive he carried only with him alone.  Now, if he could figure out a legitimate excuse to use—

Once the idea popped into his head, the choice was made.  Sam couldn’t grab Gabriel’s spray-on blockers fast enough (he found them tucked in a cabinet) and covered himself head-to-toe.  He _could_ power through this!  He could do this!

Sam... _had_ to.    
  
It was his mess to clean up, and the last thing he wanted was for regret and distress to fall upon his boyfriend.  He wouldn’t let it.

If he had more time and if he had the privacy, this might be one of the things he’d look to Dean for advice about.  He wouldn’t give him specifics, because he knew his brother would bitch about being scarred for life.  However, speaking vaguely and just talking the situation out, about his fear, might help Sam and be the outlet he needed.  But the problem was in the current situation?  Privacy was non-existent.

Sam stared himself down in the bathroom mirror, building up his game face brick by brick.  He wasn’t doing this for himself—he was doing it for Gabriel.  And he’d make it work.  He was an _alpha_ , goddammit, he _would_ push through this last day of Gabriel’s rut, no problem.  With unwavering determination, he flipped the light off and headed back out into the hallway.

Eventually, he sneaked back into the bedroom to see the man in question stirring and instantly interrogating, “Why can’t I scent you?”

“Heh,” Sam found himself smiling easily at Gabriel’s puzzled demand, because he was adorable.  “I know that my scent and me being, your words: a slutty deviant, are making your rut harder on you.  So I was thinking if I took away that variable, maybe it’d help make it slow down or stop sooner?  I can tell you’re getting stressed out, thinking it'll go over five days, Gabe.  Even though you‘re not gonna say it out loud, I know you.”  He casually moved over to sit on the bed where the other alpha was watching him with scrutiny.  “C’mon.  You gotta admit it.  Our scents feed off each other like forest fires.  Let’s try it and if it doesn’t work, I can shower ‘em off?”

It was a bluff.  Sam had no plans of showering them off in the future.  But he _had_ to commit to the concept he was presenting Gabriel.  He _had_ to show his boyfriend the logic behind 'his choice' to wear the blockers, to make this foolproof.

Thank God, it seemed to work.    
  
Gabriel ducked forward and wrapped his arms around Sam’s waist, pulling him back to the bed.  “Fine, fine.  I get it, science experiment.  Whatever, smarty-pants, law-student.”

“Yeah.”  Sam took in a massive breath of relief and kissed Gabriel’s forehead.  “We’ll see how it goes.”

“Hope it doesn’t do shit, ‘cause I miss your scent already.”  His voice took on a complaining tone which made Sam chuckle.  “Maybe that’ll be incentive enough, huh?”

“Maybe,” Sam echoed and stole a kiss from Gabriel’s lips.  “How are you feeling?”

“Mmm—” Gabriel stretched out before he latched back on.  “Like I threw some cum-hair-gel in my locks.  Think I might hit the shower while you pick out a movie, my hair stylist.”

Sam felt a faint blush on his cheeks which he knew was silly, considering the week of non-stop marathon sex, but Gabriel always knew what to say to make him squirm.  It was evident by the glow of mischief on the other alpha's face.    
  
So Sam cleared his throat loudly and said, “Go for it.  Pay-per-view movie or something from your shitty collection?”

“Whatever your heart desires!”  He popped up from the bed, grabbed Sam’s face with both hands and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips.  “I’ll be out in two shakes.”

He practically skipped away, and the moment he was out of the room relief flooded through Sam’s system like a rushing river.    
  
It had worked.  It _actually_ fucking worked.

When he stood up to head to the living room, Sam winced a bit and had to remind himself that he  _must_ remain steady in everything he did.  He had to continue to play this off and do it flawlessly.  Gabriel was happy, he was so damn happy right now, and if Sam slipped up...it could only end one way.

In resentment.  The only question was: with who in the hot seat?

\--------------------

The blocker idea seemed to be working in their favor.  Maybe it was a game plan they should have explored, rather than Sam using it in an act of desperation.    
  
While he could clearly pick apart all of Gabriel’s scents, he noticed they weren’t as vibrant because Sam’s weren’t there to react to his.  It was interesting—precisely ‘the science experiment’ Gabriel had been joking about, and Sam found himself intrigued.

Nothing had changed.

They were still cuddled up on the couch and relaxing both their tired bodies.

The huge late lunch was more than they had eaten all week, so neither of them were hungry.  Both alphas were content and curious if Gabriel’s rut really was winding down or it had to do with the blockers.  Either way, the stolen kisses remained chaste and being together was more than enough during their mini-movie-marathon.

Until it was time to go to bed.

That was when Sam could scent the familiar build-up while the credits rolled, the time rounding on ten.  Even though these weren’t their normal hours, their internal clocks were screwed because _of_ screwing.  It was an unwritten rule that the two tried to get to bed as early as deemed normal because Gabriel would usually wake Sam up in the middle of the night a couple times anyway.  They’d also take as many naps as they could fit in during the day to make up for lost time.

So ten was as good a time as ever to call it a night, and it looked as though Gabriel was ready to march them to the bedroom anyway.

The alpha hesitated to catch Sam’s eye as he griped, “I don’t like it.”

Sam looked on in puzzlement.  “Huh?”

With a snort, Gabriel sat them both up, turning off the TV, and shifted his whole body until they were face to face.  He began, “This is weird.  I’ve been able to scent you since day one.  I’ve always known when you’re into it and now I feel like I…I don’t know.  Like I’m forcing you?  Which is bullshit, yeah, but imagine this.  You’re with someone for, oh, almost eight months and you can tell _every time_ they even think you’re cute, funny, or are acting like an ass.  Then, you wanna bone them.  And it’s radio-silence, uh, _scentless_.  Ya see where I’m coming from?  At all?”

Although Sam nodded, he didn’t like where this was going.  He had to stay firm on his convictions and turn this around.  So he changed his strategy.

With a husky tone, he pulled Gabriel in until their noses were brushing and teased, “But I didn’t wanna wear you out.  Don’t want my boyfriend dying on me from overexertion.”

“Oh?  You’ve _clearly_ underestimated my sexual prowess,” Gabriel cheekily returned.  “Just sayin’—”

“Well, now you know how I feel.”  Sam voice was absolute, being the aggressor and grabbing the base of Gabriel’s neck to haul him into an intense kiss that was so powerful he was positive it would shut him up.

Gabriel's eager tongue and grabbing hands were confirmation that Sam's distraction had worked.

Sam continued to move before Gabriel got anymore bright ideas about another shower and pulled them both up from the couch and clumsily led them into the bedroom.  During the trip, Gabriel had managed to get one up on the younger alpha and had him undressed by the time his body was thrown down on the mattress.

Except, Gabriel wasn’t as naked as Sam was.  And that did not bode well when he ducked between Sam’s legs.  Normally, Sam would be completely gung-ho about this ( _more_ than gung-ho) but he was _not_ in any shape to be rimmed right now.  If Gabriel was this close, reopened the wound and scented or—even worse, God help him— _tasted_ blood, _fuck_ , it was game over and—

Sam choked as his cock was eagerly taken down Gabriel’s throat.  All right, this was good, this was _awesome—_

He arched into the hot mouth sucking him down with enthusiasm and moaned out, “You really think you’re forcing me ‘cause you can’t scent me?”

Gabriel laughed and the vibration echoed through Sam’s veins in a beautiful way.  He only pulled away to whisper, breath tingling against the saliva-slick dick, “Only one way to find out…” before he lapped the entire length and took Sam down his throat again.

In no time, he had Sam turned into a quivering, begging mess.  He was rolling up off the mattress into Gabriel’s mouth, and the true alpha happily gave him what he wanted.    
  
One thing that Sam hadn’t accounted for was the overwhelming scent that was _Gabriel_.  There wasn’t a trace of his own scent in the room—Sam was completely surround and engulfed by the alpha’s desire for him—Gabriel's love _for him_.  He was getting this heady buzz from that smell alone, and Sam was positive he was scent-drunk.

God, it was _amazing_.

That was why he was bucking off the bed with abandon the moment Gabriel relaxed his throat and gave him the go-ahead.  He was already so close, and then it hit Sam—what happened after this?  Would it be a repeat of last night?  Would he be so hopped up on adrenaline and post-orgasmic highs that he’d act like a fucking dumbass and do something stupid?

Since, apparently, being blissed-out made him an idiot, getting off and needing to repay the favor made him lose brain cells?  He couldn’t let himself go and get lost in-between orgasms again, no.  Tonight, he needed to make Gabriel cum first.

When he stopped and pushed Gabriel off his cock (physicality was the only thing either alpha responded to when things got heated), he looked confused.  Until Sam grabbed him and demanded, “How do you want it tonight?” then licked into his open mouth.

“You telling me you weren’t enjoying that?”  Gabriel nipped Sam’s lip roughly before countering, “Wow, these blockers really _are_ fucking up my groove.”

“Oh, I was enjoying it.  Too much,” Sam confessed, grabbing a fistful of Gabriel’s hair to wrench his head to the side and sucked on his neck.  “You’ve been spoiling me.  I wanna spoil you, dammit.”  When Gabriel gasped and rutted down on Sam, he smirked and added, “This could be the last round.  Wanna knot my mouth?  Wanna cum on me and claim me?  Tell me what you want, Gabe.”

He was trying to plant ideas in his head, but Sam was prepared for anything.  Sam knew he could play through the pain if Gabriel wanted to fuck him.  He was sure of it, and when Gabriel’s hand reached towards the lube on the nightstand, he steeled his resolve.    
  
Sam _had this—_ he had lust and adrenaline on his side and he was craving Gabriel’s dick.  As long as there was enough lube; he’d be fine.

The click of the cap was accompanied by the hungry words of, “Wanna watch you ride me again, Sammy.”

Shit.  There was a half-second of nerves that sent a whip-like crack through Sam’s built-up wall, because if Gabriel fucked him from behind and it hurt?  He could muffle any noise with a pillow.  If Sam was on his back?  It would be Gabriel pounding into him, and he wouldn’t be in control anyway—Sam could put on a show.    
  
But...if Sam was solely in control of _everything_ , if Gabriel was _watching him_ with such scrutiny, Sam’s chances of—

No, he couldn’t think about it!

Instead, Sam choked down any impending panic and he cooed, “You like that, don’t you?”

If Gabriel noticed any hesitation, he didn’t show it.  When Sam moved to straddle him, he raked his hands across the younger alpha’s chiseled abdomen and winked.  “Can you blame me?  With _this_ eye candy?”

With a fond roll of his eyes, Sam snatched the lube away from his boyfriend and coated his cock.  He was grateful his knot was barely a small bump along the base, and this would go like normal sex—not like this afternoon’s shitshow.  Fuck, this was just another pep-talk, Sam recognized that, but he couldn’t avoid it anymore.

“Is that all I am?  Eye candy?”  He decided to taunt Gabriel as he raised himself up and caught the head against his rim.

Gabriel was watching with his jaw agape, but Sam had turned this into a game, turning the tables on his boyfriend who constantly loved toying with him.  Sam wasn’t going to move until he had a verbal response.  When the other alpha realized this, he groaned and arched off the bed a little, making Sam gasp unexpectedly.

“Does that bother you?  That you’re my fuckin' stunning arm candy, Sammy?”  Gabriel clucked his tongue as his eyes took in every inch of skin.  He ran his hands up and down Sam’s muscled thighs, his yearning undeniable when he praised, “So delicious.”

With a shake of his head, Sam knew it was time to bite the bullet.  He pitched forward to kiss Gabriel as a diversion while he lowered himself down on his thick cock.  And, all right, _that_ fucking hurt _much_ more than he thought.  Sam was unintentionally taking it out on Gabriel’s mouth, but he hoped it came across as passionate rather than something else...rather than what it was.

Sam knew he wasn’t bleeding and he wasn’t being ripped open, or anything.  But he had most fucking definitely torn something, and that new wound coupled with the tenderness of his used hole it amounted to—   
  
_Goddammit_ , he _had_ to block out the pain.  Sam had gotten into fights, he’d broken bones, he’d fought addiction, this was nothing in comparison—!

And when he was fully-seated, Gabriel’s scent was alight with pleasure.  Sam cloaked himself in that, allowed himself to be surrounded by the waves, breathing it in.  He let his boyfriend’s scent wash over him and fill his lungs, all the lust, the excitement, the love.  God, did that help.  That was what allowed him to start moving.

“Jesus, Sam, you feel amazing,” Gabriel whispered into his ear as Sam finally set a pace on his cock, “But I bet you look even better,” and Gabriel pushed him back, so he’d have a show.

Fuck, Sam hadn’t had to worry about his face while his was plastered against Gabriel’s!  But...this was what he’d asked for.  He wanted _to watch_ Sam ride his cock.  And now the alpha had to try exponentially harder to fake it, because not only was he on display but…Gabriel’s knot was now catching on his rim.

That sent _jolts_ of pain through him—

Sam was fighting to catch his breath but then maybe God took pity on him, because he shifted just enough for the head of Gabriel’s cock to brush his prostate.  He strived, struggled, fought even harder to catch that angle again.  And suddenly, Sam was back in the game.  The pleasure overwhelmed the pain and now it _wasn’t_ a matter of faking it anymore, he could finally beat this by chasing his own orgasm.

And Sam chased it like a bat out of hell.

The moans were no longer forced, they were ripped from his throat as he used Gabriel how he wanted and crashed their hips together.  It was violent—their voices were bouncing off the walls and filling the room, but Sam could feel every plunge from his abused hole.  The sensitivity from Gabriel’s swelling knot was just the thing that sent him spiraling off the edge and had him shouting as he came.

When their bodies collided, both covered in Sam’s cum, Gabriel’s arms wrapped around him and held him in a death-grip while he came down from his own orgasm.    
  
Sam nuzzled happily into the touch, kissing Gabriel’s collarbone and the base of his neck softly.  But...the other alpha had yet to release him.  Or tilt his chin to return any of their usual after-glow kisses.  Sometimes, that was the best part...the part Sam basked in as long as he could...

Much to Sam's displeasure, Gabriel rolled them both onto their sides and reached for the wet-wipes they had decided along the way were best for quick bedside clean up.    
  
But Gabriel did something _strange_.

Instead of wiping the cum from both their stomachs, Gabriel took an ungraceful wad into his fist—

—And began scrubbing at Sam’s jaw, neck, torso.  Then he barely wiped up any of the cum, treating it as though it was an afterthought.

Sam was thoroughly caught off-guard, but when he finally looked into Gabriel’s determined eyes...Sam realized exactly what Gabriel had just done.    
  
He had attempted to _scrub away_ the spray-on blockers.

From Gabriel’s scent alone… it appeared like it had _worked_.

“Sam…” his voice was a torn rumble in the back of his throat, and the other alpha couldn’t distinguish what it meant.  “Why?”

“Why what?”  Even though Sam knew he couldn’t play dumb anymore, that Gabriel could scent him, that he had given himself away—that didn’t mean he had the words.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”  Gabriel was holding back, trying so hard to keep his voice even—but that’s when his scent _exploded_.

It was filled with sorrow, hurt, remorse, and that inevitable resentment Sam _knew_ would be felt?     
  
Gabriel was aiming it inward.  He was blaming _himself_.  Which was the _last_ thing Sam wanted!

“Gabe, I’m sorry, I—”

“No, Sam, I told you!  I fucking told you, from day one, I’d never—that I _couldn’t_ hurt you!  And that’s exactly what just happened!  When did it happen?  Was that why you wore the blockers?  Jesus!  And then you let me do it _again_?!”  His eyes were wild and terrified, and there was a threat of Gabriel’s voice cracking.  “You don’t understand—”

“Stop it!”  Sam couldn’t take the wild, threatening terror contorting Gabriel's face, his hands moved of their own accord to cup his cheeks.  Only to be pushed away.  “I’m fine, I _promise_.  It was me being a dumbass.  Me being a stubborn knothead, and that _doesn’t_ reflect on you at all, you—!”

“Really?”  Gabriel asked sardonically, “And just _how_ exactly would you have gotten hurt if my dick wasn’t involved?”

“This is on me!  It was _my_ mistake!”  Sam hated how the room had transformed between shouts in the throes of passion to being on the defensive in the blink of an eye.

But that’s not really what this was.  It was _Sam_ on _Gabriel’s_ defensive, because the other alpha was berating _himself_.     
  
Which was absolutely fucking ridiculous—!     
  
Still, there was a devastation in not _only_ Gabriel’s scent, but in his eyes, that could not be disputed.     
  
The alpha felt it was his fault on a bone-deep level and Sam didn’t know how the hell he could fix this.  Gabriel wasn’t even letting him touch him.  Shit, if they weren’t tied together, he probably wouldn’t even be in the same room as Sam.

“No, it’s not.  I should have realize, I should have told you to stop.  This was this afternoon, wasn’t it?”  Gabriel’s voice was soaked in bitter resignation.  “ _Goddammit_.”

“Please, Gabe. _Don’t_ blame yourself, blame me!  Get mad _at me—_ ” Sam tried again to grab him, this time by his shoulders, because Gabriel’s eyes were beginning to become hazy, unfocused.  And he was going somewhere else, somewhere Sam may not be able to reach him.  “You _trusted me_ and _I_ fucked up!”

“A good alpha would never have hurt you.”  His words seemed final.  Gabriel didn’t even seem to register Sam’s hands gripping him with a bruising strength.  “I’m so sorry.”

“You did nothing wrong!  Fuck,” he cursed to himself as Gabriel’s breaths were shuttered out, and he closed his eyes.  “C’mon, Gabe.  Talk to me?  I’m _fine_ , I’m seriously all right, there’s _nothing_ wrong—”

“Maybe this is one of the reasons alpha couples don’t work.”  Gabriel sounded far away in his musing.  “I promise, I won’t hurt you again.”

Sam blinked with wide eyes, voice quaking, “What does that mean?”  The lack of an immediate answer scared the hell out of Sam.  He was used to sharp quips, instant gratification in all forms and Gabriel’s silence was horrifying.  So he repeated, “Gabe.  What the hell does that mean?”

“What I said—I won’t hurt you again,” he repeated in a sullen voice.  “I’m never knotting you again,” Gabriel finally stated, his words barely above a whisper.  “It’s all I can think of, kid.”

“That’s not—I _told you_ , it’s—” Sam stumbled over his thoughts, baffled that his boyfriend would even _think_ these things, let alone go right to the nuclear option!  “I—”

Then Gabriel did something he had only done a handful of times in his life.

He looked up and met Sam’s confused, lost gaze with a sadness in his own and spoke clearly with his full true alpha voice.

“Go to sleep, Sam.”

And, just like magic, even though Sam opened his mouth to protest...his eyelids grew heavy and he was sinking into the mattress—sound asleep, in no time.

Gabriel continued to watch his softened features with his heart in his throat for a little while longer before he closed his eyes.  Even then, it was a long time before he could nod off.  His heart was too heavy.


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like it's always a good time to thank [whataboutthefish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_about_the_fish/pseuds/what_about_the_fish/works) for all her support of this fic, beta-reading, not to mention unending love and friendship <3 Here's another shout-out to my babe!

When Sam woke up, it was early and Gabriel’s voice was right in his ear whispering something, and then he was gone.  The young alpha was more than a little confused and hazy, but when he reached to his grab his phone and looked at the time his heart skipped a beat.

All right, maybe it skipped a _dozen_ , because… _what the actual fuck—?_

Sam jerked up with his heart pounding because he had a million fucking questions.  His confusion had transformed into utter shock and the smell of breakfast was luring him in because he was starving.

Yes.  Goddamn.  Ravenously.  Starving.

All this propelled him, charging into the kitchen, with his first booming question to the man positioned over the skillet, “How the _fuck_ is it _Monday_?!”

Gabriel wore a half-assed grin when he responded, “You needed your rest.  So I let you rest.”

“No!  You fuckin’ _true-alphed_ me into a goddamned _coma_!  Can you even do that?!  I lost days!   _Days_ , Gabriel!”  Sam rushed right up into his space but the look Gabriel shot him made him retreat.

Also contributing to it, was the fact that there was a massive breakfast spread of pancakes, hash browns, eggs, bacon and sausage.  And Sam was salivating at the mere sight.

“I didn’t know I even _could_ until I ordered you to sleep, and then…”  Gabriel shrugged his shoulders with all the nonchalance in the world.  “You _kept_ sleeping.  I knew you were tired, sore, hurt, needed to recover.  And so I let you sleep.  Figured a day or so without food wouldn’t kill you and you needed the rest.  Then I could just “true-alpha” you awake, as you so eloquently phrased it.”

Once Gabriel sat a side of sausages down on the table, he joined Sam and added, “I had another day and a half of my rut.  No way I’d let you get involved with that.  It was best you snoozed.”

That’s when Sam realized Gabriel was wearing blockers again.  The full-on heavy, prescribed ones.  Sam couldn’t get a read on his boyfriend, and it was all his fucking fault.

“So—” Sam summarized through ground teeth, “You gave me a timeout because I was bad.  Then you woke me _just_ in time for school.”

“I didn’t give you a timeout.”  There was genuine ache reflected in Gabriel’s eyes as he spoke.  “I told you, kid.  I was still in rut and you were hurt.  I didn’t want to hurt you any more than I already had.”

“Gabe.”  Sam tried again and reached across the table, grabbing the alpha’s wrist, “You weren’t the one who—”

“Agree to disagree.”  It was said with his lips pursed in a thin line.  “So tell me, how do you feel?”

Sam let go of Gabriel’s wrist, knowing he wasn’t going to win the fight, (plus, he was still puzzled by the fact he had been sleeping for _days)_ and he physically took stock of his body.  He was…

Well, _rested_.

He felt a far-away soreness, but it was night and day from the way he’d previously felt and his body, other than the hunger in his stomach, felt rejuvenated.  Maybe a coma had been a good idea.  There was no way he would have survived two more days of Gabriel’s rut.  But that didn’t matter, the fact that the choice was taken away from him was—  
  
Wait.  Maybe that was the whole point?

Because Sam had basically done the same thing to Gabriel.

Shit, Sam didn’t know how to respond, as he began picking at his food, other than, “I feel fine.”

“Good.”  Gabriel clapped his hands together.  “Well, I got you up early enough for breakfast, a shower, and then you’ll be on your way to school.  I’m headed back to the bar today and I’ve got a late shift tonight, so hopefully you can get to sleep without my help and—”

“Dammit, Gabriel,” Sam stopped him, then raised an eyebrow.  “Are we going to pretend this never happened?”

“Yep.”  He said it easily, with a smile, taking his used dish to the sink.

Sam wasn’t sure if this was his boyfriend trying to avoid him or not.  He didn’t know what the hell was going on, besides the fact he’d been Sleeping Beauty and—

“Hold on.”  He stopped mid-bite, turning his head to the alpha and _prayed_ he hadn’t fucked things up beyond repair, to the point of breaking _them_.  “Did you…meet with the realtor?”

Gabriel turned around and leaned on the counter.  He crossed his arms and nodded, “I made the call.  The house is ours, if we want it.”

“Really?”  Excitement flooded Sam’s entire system, but he didn’t know how to read Gabriel—due to the blockers and whatever the hell Twilight Zone their relationship had fallen into.

It looked like Gabriel was also watching him just as closely, trying to analyze Sam's every move and every word.  Thank fuck, when he saw Sam’s reaction he finally broke out into the first true, honest-to-God smile Sam had seen out of him today.  “Yeah, really.  So let me know, and I’ll get back to her.”

“Obviou—”

“Let me know,” he emphasized it, interrupting Sam one more time.  “Just.  Think about it.  Let me know _later_.  After you’ve given it some real thought.  Eat.  You've got class.”

Sam tilted his head to the side, then dropped his eyes to his breakfast.  Maybe more had happened when he was sleeping than he knew.  Did Gabriel do more contemplating?  Was he questioning their getting the house together?  Was he questioning their _relationship_?  Fuck.  This _wasn’t_ good.

He inhaled the rest of his breakfast like it was his last meal on Earth (Jesus, was he hungry and he devoured every last crumb of Gabriel's massive spread) then went through his morning routine in a fog.  The shower took longer than usual—Sam felt like he was washing days worth of filth from his body.  

And...things...kept popping into his head, distracting him.  Had Gabriel been next to him at night?  Or had he taken the couch, afraid to even face him?  Sam mulled over all these questions as he brushed his teeth, as he gathered his books, and they continued to mount into a horrible monster that was taking on a life of its own.

Deep down, he wasn’t even sure Gabriel would answer a damn thing he asked.

Not anytime soon.

Maybe later down the road.  If there was still a road.

Sam was pulling on his jacket and grabbing his backpack when he finally saw Gabriel again.  He met him at the door to see him off, this being the first he’d shown his face since breakfast.  It didn’t bode well.

Gabriel seemed nervous, but said, “See you tonight?”

“Duh,” Sam shifted between his feet, rolling his eyes.

“Hey.  I love you,” Gabriel finally managed to spit out, and when he did Sam dipped down and stole a kiss.

One that Gabe hauled him back into, just because he could.  He released Sam gently, like he was made of fucking glass, and sighed, “Text me when you, uh, figure stuff out.  You don’t have to wait up for me.  Just...have a good day, I’ll lock up behind you.”

“Yeah, you too.  I mean, have a good day.  You lock up.  Yeah.  Love you, Gabe.”  Sam awkwardly muddled through the goodbye, but it had Gabriel cracking up by the end—so he considered it a win.

Once he was out the door and headed to the bus stop, he wondered what the actual fuck was going on.  He went to bed like he had narcolepsy in the middle of a fight with his boyfriend, and woke up ready to go to school.  This was one of the most bizarre mornings of his entire life, and there wasn’t _one_ part of it that he liked.

\----------------------------

After Sam left, Gabriel collapsed like a bag of rocks onto the couch and let out a massive sigh of relief.  He had no idea how the fuck the morning would go, but one thing held true—he was beyond thrilled it was over.

Everything had (mostly) gone according to plan.

He watched the clock with a _very_ close eye, scheduling out exactly how much time it would take the other alpha to eat, get ready and then head out to catch his ride to school: right down to the precise minute.  Gabriel didn’t want to talk—he wanted to leave Sam with a question ( _the_ question) and let him sit with it.     
  
Gabriel wanted the kid to honestly think it out, because his answer about committing to the house pre-coma may be different now.  He needed Sam to do it for himself, alone, without Gabriel present.

The alpha had to admit when Sam had continued to snooze through the next day, he was stunned.    
  
At first, Gabriel thought it was just because of exhaustion, but when Sam continued to dream away…that’s when he realized _what happened._     
  
He’d used his influence: full-blown alpha voice and scent to _order_ Sam asleep.  It wouldn’t have worked on the average person, but because he and Sam were so close, they were so deeply connected, he apparently had that kind of power over him.

Since Gabriel’s rut wasn’t over, and he had absolutely no intent to use Sam anymore, he left him be.

Mostly, because Gabriel couldn’t even put into words how upset he was with himself.  That he couldn’t see Sam was hurting until it was _right_ in his _fucking face_.  No, Gabriel should have asked more questions, he should have been able to read Sam better, he shouldn’t have been so caught up in his fucking rut that he did the one thing he dreaded more than _anything_.

Maybe his actions were selfish: the other reason he left Sam KO’d was because he didn’t want to fight.

God, he _hated it_ when they fought, and Sam was all riled up and nothing but hellfire that night.  So Gabriel took the easy way out.

Finally, the last reason, maybe the most _important_ reason was that Gabriel wanted to show Sam _exactly_ what he was capable of.     
  
Maybe he’d realize being with a true alpha wasn’t a good idea.  The fact that Gabriel _could_ take days away from him?  With the metaphorical snap of his fingers?  That was heavy.  And Gabriel was making a statement.     
  
Maybe Sam should run while there was still time...

Although it had fucking _hurt_ when the kid had instantly become so excited about the house.  Even after everything.  Of course, a part of Gabriel hoped Sam could forgive him, for hurting him, for taking advantage of him and exerting that control over him.  But…could Gabriel ever forgive _himself_?

He wallowed in his own self-hatred when Sam was safely tucked away in dreamland.  Gabriel had shut the door, leaving his boyfriend in his own little world, but most importantly: distant and safe from him.

Maybe Gabriel _was_ still dangerous.  More than he thought he was.  Maybe he still had that manic streak inside him that he thought disappeared with Kali.  Maybe Gabriel had pretended he and the woman brought out the madness in each other, but what if it was something ingrained in _Gabriel’s wiring_ all along?

Allowing his rut had been a mistake.

A huge fucking mistake.

He doubled over and rested his forehead against his palms, elbows on his knees and blew out another heavy exhale.  Gabriel had no idea what the hell he was going to do.

Which was half the reason he shoved Sam out the door as quickly as humanly possible.  To put it in _his_ hands.

Gabriel didn’t leave the couch for a long time.  Mostly, because his thoughts were still racing and they were pulling him down into a darker and dismal place.  He didn’t know what the hell would bring him out of it.  Gabriel probably didn’t even deserve it.  Fuck, he didn’t even have anyone to talk to; he was completely alone.

Gabriel couldn’t reach out to his brother, he had purposefully isolated himself from everyone—the only person he’d let in was Sam.  Hell, he couldn’t even talk to Meg! She would at least humor him.  He was well and truly by himself in this.

Then, he perked up because maybe he _wasn’t_.

His phone that was plugged into the wall and laying on the ground.  Gabriel reached it and sunk down to the carpet sending a text just for the hell of it.  There was still enough time before his shift, maybe it would work.

Gabriel was surprised by the speed in which the man responded—not only with confirmation, but with the name of a café and the question of meeting in an hour.

Well, shit.  Maybe Gabriel had a friend, after all...

\-------------------

Sam ambled and wandered in-between classes, given his half-hour gap, and ignored all of Brady’s texts to meet up for lunch.  He wasn’t hungry, not only because of the huge breakfast, but because of the tension in his shoulders.  There was also the fact that it felt as though his stomach was going to drop out at any moment.

His phone had remained decently inactive while he’d been sleeping, but he had received a few concerned messages from Dean.  As well as a few missed calls.  Sam had promised his brother he’d let him know when Gabriel’s rut was over.  To tell him he was alive.  Obviously, that confirmation text had never been sent.

As much as he hated it, he knew Dean was probably worried as hell—so he had to bite the bullet.  Now was as good a time as any.  Sam found a place on campus, on one of the stone benches wrapped around a tree that was vacant and sat down, letting the phone ring.

“Hey!” Dean answered almost immediately, “The fuck have you been?”

“Heh.”  The alpha chuckled humorlessly, but…hadn’t planned out where to go from here.  Did he tell him the truth?  Did he shrug it all off like nothing was wrong?  “Well, I was at home and now I’m back to school.”

“You know what I mean, _dumbass_ ,” the omega snipped, clearly in a bitchy mood.  “I called and texted you, like, a _hundred_ times and—”

“So what?  Are you my fucking mom?” Sam spat back before he could stop himself.

“Dude, what the hell is _your_ problem?”  While he sounded annoyed, his anger had weakened and now Dean was just frustrated at Sam’s attitude.  “You rather have Bobby check on you?  Maybe Jo?  ‘Cause next time, if you’re gonna be a princess, I’ll pass right on the responsibility-baton!”

“I’m sorry, I just…I fucked up, Dean.  I _seriously_ fucked up, then he—”  The alpha shook his head, lost and confused, Sam didn’t know where he was going with this.  Shit, he couldn't back out...he'd already said too much and taken the plunge!  “I don’t know.  It could be bad.  Like, _really_ bad and I don’t know _what_ the hell to do—”

“Okay, c’mon, take a breather.  You sound like you’re gonna have a panic attack, Sammy,” Dean’s voice was strangely soothing as it dropped to that lower, caring, strangely-comforting omega tone he never used.  It was a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency thing.  Apparently, this qualified.  “I wanna help.  But you’ve gotta relax and give me a little more than that.”

Sam let the words soak in before he even tried to respond, his brother’s voice was grounding and it was working.  But…the things he had to say?  From both his end and Gabriel’s…they may piss Dean right off.  It might turn any kind of advice Dean may have given into big-brother protective instincts and ruin everything all over again.  God, why were things so fucked?

“Just…promise you won’t get mad?” Sam pleaded, as he looked around to make sure no one was within earshot.  Hell, with the way his scent was most likely firing off with all these goddamn emotions, it would stay that way.  Contained in his own personal bubble of distress.  “With _any_ of this?”

There was a pause before Dean cleared his throat and confirmed, “Yeah.  Yeah, I promise.  Whatever it is, I’m not leavin’ you like this.  And I sure as hell ain’t gonna add to your stress.  So lay it on me.”  In a coaxing way, he prompted, “What went wrong?

“Me.   _I_ went wrong, I…”  He swallowed and tried to remain as objective as possible, for both their sake's.  “Number one thing in his book is consent and never making me uncomfortable, let alone hurting me.  But I-I was stupid.  It got to me that I couldn’t… _do things_ like an omega and I, uh, _pushed myself_ too hard.  And then tried to cover it up.  Pretend it didn’t happen.  And hide it from him.  Used blockers with some stupid excuse, kept grinning and bearing it, even though I was just making it worse.”

Dean stayed silent as Sam continued on, which the alpha was grateful for.

“I thought I was in the clear, thought it was the end of it...but then he figured it out.  I wanted him to get mad at me.  Yell at me because I was impulsive, it was _my_ fault, it was all on me for being an idiot, but he refused.  Shit, Dean...he was fucking devastated.  Thought it was all his fault and didn’t even listen to me!  Said all this shit about being a terrible alpha and he’d never hurt me again.  And then he _made_ me sleep.”

The omega took it all in and tried to make sure all his words were even, “Like, true-alpha-sleep?”

“Yeah.  And I woke up today.”  Sam huffed ruefully.

“Wait, _what_?!”  Dean finally lost his cool and demanded, “He can _do that_?”

“I guess so.  Said he had couple days of rut left.  Didn’t want me to be a part of it.  Wanted me to recover and heal for school.  Woke me up with a feast, just enough time to get ready, avoided me all morning and shoved me out the door.”  Sam’s voice filled with weighed sorrow, “But…he told me he spoke to the realtor on the house we were looking at.  The one that _I_ picked out, the one that I wanted.  Said it was ours if we wanted it.  Told me to think it over.  But everything’s messed up.”

“Woah.”  Dean said after a small span of silence.  “I’m sorry, dude.  That’s some heavy shit.”

“Seriously?  That’s all you can come up with—”

“I wasn’t finished!”  Sam could see Dean’s eye roll cross state lines.  “So yer alpha is _way_ too in love with you.  And, I know you know this, you shouldn’t have done what you did.  If I’m, um, _understanding_ what you’re trying to spell out, that is.”  He awkwardly cleared his throat.  “And you _especially_ shouldn’t have tried to get away with it!  You need to talk to him.  Tell him what you were thinking and say you never should have tried to fool him.  All that lovey-dovey stuff he needs to hear.  Because saying ‘it was my fault’ isn’t gonna cut it.  It just scratches the surface.  You need to tell him _why_ you did it, where your head was at and get him to listen.   _Jesus_ , that dude’s got it bad, Sammy, you can’t do shit like that!  He’s gonna die of a fuckin’ stroke, from what yer tellin’ me.”

Sam nodded, because at least that gave him somewhere to start, somewhere to go—but he realized Dean couldn’t see him and verbally affirmed, “All right.  I can do that.  What about—”

“Okay, that sleeping shit, though?  That’s _seriously_ messed up.  If this was the beginning of your relationship, I’d tell you to get the hell outta dodge.  Because the fact he has that much literal power over you?  Like, what the _actual_ fuck?”  Disbelief still hung from Dean’s every word.  “But.  And this is a _giant_ but, that only has to do with the fight, okay?  Because I do _not_ approve of him mind-whamming you for a second!  Think about this.  What would you have done if you were awake and he was still in rut?  Be honest.”

“I’d… want to make it right.  I’d try to make him understand that—”

“Yep.  More fighting.  And he wouldn’t be thinking logically, Sam.  It’d be a broken record: he hurt you, he hurt you, he hurt you.  He’s pumped up on adrenaline and hormones.  Another alpha quality?  Protection.  Now, think of _that_ on steroids.  Maybe he thought he _was_ protecting you by keeping you safe, healing from a, uh, wound _he_ created and saving you _from him_.  Because, let’s be real: you ain’t gonna stay locked away in a tower.  You’d be struggling tooth and nail against him.  Do you kinda see the logic behind it?” Dean asked with a steady voice.

When his brother delivered it like that, it clicked.

“I guess.  But the fact he took the choice away from me—” Sam began, vulnerability overwhelmed his scent and voice.

“Sucks.  Yeah, it suck and I don’t support it.  But when you guys are in rut?  When we’re in heat?  No one is really thinking things through with a cool head.  I’m just saying I get it.  And, to be honest, I think he was doing it to push you away.  If he was really as upset as you’re saying, I mean, that’s a good place to start.”  Dean’s suggestion made sense.

“I can’t even explain how upset he was,” Sam sounded weary, “like his whole world imploded.”

“There you have it.”  Dean grumbled, catching some of the alpha’s heartache.  “But…he said something about the house?”

“Yeah.”  Slowly, he added, “He still told me he loved me, too.”

“Well, you should have mentioned _that_ part!”  The omega groused loudly, “I thought you were, like, _breaking up_!”

“I feel like we could, Dean.  I’m not being dramatic, this is really fucking serious.”  There was a bite to his words, “You can still love someone and not trust them.  You can still love someone and pull away because you can’t stand the thought of hurting them anymore!”

“But you _can’t_ still wanna live with someone in their dream home and love ‘em and want to break up.  Or…whatever.  I don’t know, that was confusing!”  He growled and there was a rustle of fabric that Sam knew was his brother throwing his arm up in the air.  “He still wants you!  Sure, things are messy right now, but that’s life.  You work through it.  He wouldn’t have even _mentioned_ the goddamn house if he didn’t want you in it with him.  Hell, he’s probably more scared than you are!”

“Don’t think that’s possible,” Sam muttered and shifted against the rock, noticing his rear was still a bit sore.  “I’m fucking terrified.  I’ve never felt this way in my life, and I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.”

“Yeah, I know.”  His brother sighed, “But...you guys’ll make it work.  You’ve had a few bumps, now you’ve got your first hurdle.  And it’s on _both_ of you, so don’t just blame yourself, okay?  It’s funny, ya know.  You guy’s problem is you both care _too much_.  Which, when you think about it in the grand scheme of things, isn’t the worst problem to have.”

“Hey, thanks.”  He hoped he could convey just how grateful he was.  “I know I always come to you with all this relationship crap, and this time it was sex stuff you don’t even want to think about, but you always help.  Why the hell are you so good at this?”

“Hah!  Because I’m awesome?”  Dean clucked his tongue, “Think it comes from seeing life from both sides, maybe.  Being an omega but living as an alpha.  Knowing how your side rolls, but feeling how my side feels.  It’s weird, but I’ve heard it all while I’m slinging booze at the Roadhouse and hear lots of stuff when I’m workin’ for Bobby.  But more than anything?”  He paused with a chuckle, “I know _you_ , Sammy.  You and that big heart’a yours.  And I feel like I know this weird-ass alpha too.  Don’t ask me _how_ , just gotta feeling.”

“Heh, I’m gonna.  Make it right, that is.”  There was determination in Sam’s voice.  “And once I make it right, he’s gonna get a fuckin’ earful about knocking me out.”

“Can I get an amen!”  Dean cackled, then slowly asked, “Hey.  Aren’t you supposed to be in class right now?”

“I decided I’m skipping the rest of them.”  The alpha said with surety, “I’ve got something I need to do.”

“Woah, rebel.  Maybe this dude _is_ a bad influence after all.”  By now, Dean was outright laughing, but encouraged, “Well, get yer ass to it.  Good luck.”

“Thanks again.  I’ll let you know how it goes, and hopefully I don’t fall under another sleeping curse, okay?”

“Yeah, still sketched out about that.  But it is what it is.  I’m gonna have to Google this true alpha shit.  Bye, Sammy.”

“Let me know what you find.  See ya, Dean.”  Sam hung up, and when he stood up from the stone bench he realized his ass had officially gone numb.

He changed his path from the lecture hall he was supposed to be at seven minutes ago and headed towards the library.  Sam knew what move he had to make next, and school wasn’t part of it.  With an affirmative nod to himself, he checked in at the front desk with his student ID and headed over to the computers.  He had work to do.

\--------------

Even though Gabriel had been the one to set up the meeting, he felt like an jackass because he was running late.  He spent too much time in his head when he was getting ready, and by the time he finally got out of the shower he was rushing to dress himself and couldn’t find his damn keys before he sprinted out the door.

When he finally arrived at the coffee shop, Zeke wasn’t hard to spot with his tall stature and impeccable posture and Gabriel cut through the line towards the table, blurting out, “Sorry I’m late,” as he sat down.

“It’s fine, Richard.  It’s good to see you,” he greeted with a warm smile.  “It’s been awhile, since Christmas, hasn't it?”  But before Gabriel could answer, he uncharacteristically blurted out, “You’re not looking well.  Is that why you wished to see me?”

“Can’t keep nothin’ from you, huh?”  Gabriel shook his head and admitted, “Yeah.  Not doing too hot.  Thought it would be good to get out of the apartment and see a familiar face, I guess.”

Zeke was flagging down one of the staff and politely asked her, “Could you get my friend a drink?”

Gabriel blinked, because this was the kind of place where you ordered at the counter.  But apparently, the man’s charm had the woman turning to the alpha and asking, “Why not?  What would you like, sir?”

“Uh, could I get a white chocolate mocha?”  He flashed her a wide, charismatic smile of his own and when she nodded he said, “Thank you, sweetheart.”

After she had turned away, Zeke was like a dog with a bone.  “We have a shift together tonight, so obviously you wanted to speak in private before then.”

“Well, _distraction_ was more what I had in mind.”  Gabriel groaned with a shrug, “I was gonna have you tell me the gossip around the bar, what I missed out on, how your week was, yada yada yada.”

“That may have been what you wanted, but not what you need,” the man swiftly pointed out, and Gabriel felt uncomfortable under the intensity of his gaze.  “What changed when you were out?  You took time off for your cycle.  Please, tell me what happened.”

Gabriel sunk back against the chair in defeat, the other alpha’s eyes making it impossible to escape this.  It wasn’t like he could get up and walk away.  After all, Gabriel wasn’t going to let a perfectly good drink go to waste because he was being a total chicken-shit.  Speaking of, the woman must have jumped to the front of the line for him, because she was serving it in record time.

He pulled out he wallet and snatched a ten dollar bill, trading it for the coffee, and telling her to keep the change.  But now he was faced with Ezekiel once more.

“What happened...everything was great the first four days.  Fan-fucking-tastic.  But then—”  He frowned and ran a hand through his hair, leaning in so no one could overhear their words.  “I hurt him.  I was so goddamn _out of my mind_ on hormones and sex that I didn’t even _realize_ that I hurt him.  And Sam he—he just pretended nothing happened!  Wore blockers so I wouldn’t know and I fucking hurt him even worse.  I don’t deserve that kid.  I’m so fuckin’ disgusted with myself, I can’t even _think_ straight, I—”

“Richard.  If Sam made the decision to proceed and hid it from you—it was _his_ choice.  And, I’m a bit confused, wouldn’t you have stopped if you caused injury?  Why would you have continued?”  His brows were scrunched together in confusion.

Gabriel paused a moment before admitting, “Because he didn’t friggin tell me.  Then he piled on the blockers and let me keep goin’!”

“I fail to see how the problem lies with you.”  Zeke folded his arms and tilted his head.  “This all seems to be Sam’s choice.  You couldn’t have prevented it.  Why are you blaming yourself?”

“Because I should have seen it!  If I was in my right mind I should have scented it, noticed it, known something was _wrong_.”  His voice was heated and frayed like his nerves.  “Sam was just trying to make me happy and making me happy involved pain.  Physical fuckin’ pain.  If that ain’t domestic violence at its finest, I don’t know what _is_!”

Although Zeke sighed, he pressed on, “And what happened after you found out?  What came of the discussion?  What happened the rest of the weekend?”

Gabriel opened and closed his mouth a few times before he decided reaching for his mocha was the best game plan that he had.

Because now he had limited options.  And they all swirled around how much he trusted Zeke.  How close they were, how strong their friendship was.  From the first day Gabriel began working at the club, Ezekiel had been this kind, respectable type of guy who genuinely cared about everyone.    
  
Hell, he was working at a strip club because he’d shopped around and evaluated the freakin’ salaries of bars in the area, and determined their sleazy joint would help him make the money he needed to get his Criminal Justice degree the fastest.

He wasn’t just smart—whenever he was in the mood he was hilarious with a dry sense of humor that left Gabriel giggling like a child.  And the closer they became, the more Gabriel _did_ trust him.     
  
Zeke knew about Sam and his relationship.  He knew that Gabriel was an alpha.  Hell, he knew both he and Sam were alphas, and there was zero judgment from him—only unwavering support.  Zeke was the closest friend he had.  He knew everything about his current life, minus his real name.

So Gabriel decided to say fuck it.  This would be the make-it-or-break-it moment and he’d see just how much of a friend the other alpha was.

“Sam…slept the rest of the weekend.”  Gabriel was staring at his cup, waiting for the inevitable question.

“So he ignored you and shut you out?” the alpha guessed with deep concern, “I would have never expected that of him, I’d have thought he’d want to discuss things and—”

“No, Zeke.  He literally slept.”  Gabriel’s eyes slowly rose until they were locked with the other man’s.  “Because I _ordered him to_.  I’m…a true alpha.”

He waited for the freak-out, for the levee to break, for the shock and fright to light up on the man’s face.  But...it never came.

“I’ve never met a true alpha.”   _That_ was Zeke’s reaction—he studied Gabriel with piqued interest.  “You hide it so well.  I assumed you were a beta when we were introduced, that’s fascinating.  Are the rumors true?”

“Strength?  Speed?  Power of suggestion?  Too much quality time with your animal side?  Yeah, all that.”  It was Gabriel’s turn to look confused, “This doesn’t…like, scare you?”

“You don’t abuse it.  You’ve never done anything to warrant scaring me,” he said with a strange calm.  All that Zen shit that always surrounded him.  “Although, I don’t understand how one, no matter what their suggestion, could compel their mate to sleep for that long?  Or maybe _that’s_ just it.  Sam’s opened himself to you so much, he’s extremely susceptible,” Zeke’s eyes lit up in realization.  “That’s the part that I have a problem with.  You handled the situation with avoidance and used it to your advantage.”

“I didn’t mean for it to happen!”  Gabriel raised his hands in front of him, “He just kept sleeping!  So I let him.  Not to be graphic, but we were doing some pretty heavy cardio for five days non-stop.  He needed his rest.  Plus, my rut didn’t end there!  And the hell was I supposed to do if he was awake?”

“Fix things, perhaps?” Zeke commented sardonically.  “Have you fixed them?”

“I woke him up and sent him to school.”

“So you have not.”  The alpha’s scent read disappointment in a way that Gabriel didn’t need—he was already disappointed enough with _himself_ for the two of them.  “That’s the only place you’ve gone wrong.  You should have solved things—”

“With a hard-on?” Gabriel hissed back, “Somehow I don’t think things would have gone well if we tried to talk while I still wanted to bang him while _simultaneously_ hating my guts!”

“I understand this is a very difficult situation but you had a leg up and should have spoken with him the moment your rut ended.  Instead, you ran away from it.  Which isn’t like you.  What are you so afraid of?  That he’ll convince you _you’re_ wrong and _he_ made a foolish error and you won’t be able to blame yourself?”  Zeke was digging, he tried to understand where Gabriel was coming from, taking into account the new information about him being a true alpha, as well.  “Where’s your head at?”

“It’s not like it was knocking him out for the sake of knocking him out...”  Gabriel fussed with the lid of his drink.  “He probably would have spent the last days sleeping, anyway.  I just—”

“Avoided him.  Through any means necessary.”

“Hey!  I did some work.  I contacted the chick about the house and got the green light.  You know.  If Sam doesn’t hate me.”  Gabriel’s voice became smaller with each passing phrase.

“That means you have hope.  Good.  You’re not a complete lost cause.”  Zeke took a sip of his coffee and looked content

“Excuse me?”  He raised an eyebrow.

“You’re the one who’s being stubborn, Richard.  Sam loves you, it’s obvious, and you’re fearful he’s going to stop loving you.  I’m not sure why, because you two are meant to be together.”  His voice was so damn sure.  “Just the way you speak about him.  When I’ve seen him in the bar.  I’ve never witnessed two people _more_ meant to be.  So, please, stop blaming yourself and make amends.”

“What if I can’t?”

“You will.”  Zeke smiled at him and reached across the small café table with those long arms and patted him on the back.  “Or else I’ll swap my shifts with Hannah and you’ll be forced to work with her from now on.”

“Oh, _God_.”  Gabriel scrubbed a hand down his face and dramatically lamented, “I would fuckin’ murder you before you could even become a homicide detective, you little shit!”

“She’s not that bad.  At least you’ll be the one making all the tips.”  There was a smile quirked on the edge of the alpha’s mouth.  “Now, collect yourself, come up with a plan and I’ll see you at work tonight.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  But before he could get up, Gabriel reached out and grabbed Zeke’s wrist.  “Hey, could you keep the true alpha thing on the down-low for me?  I, uh.  Only Sam knows.”

Ezekiel’s eyes warmed and he admitted, “I won’t tell a soul.  I’m very happy you trusted me with such sensitive information, Richard.  It doesn’t change a thing, I promise.  If anything it makes a strange sort of sense.”

“Sense?”  Gabriel questioned with curiosity.

“As to why you’re such a cocky annoyance, on occasion,” he deadpanned with a face so solemn that it made Gabriel burst out laughing.

“Yep, I can see that.  Thanks.  For being there for me, cocky annoyance or not.  You’re probably the best friend I got.”  He didn’t likes getting into the touchy-feely crap, but it was because he was pretty pathetic right then, alright?

“And I’ll always be here.”  Zeke finally stood up and smiled, “I’ll see you in a few hours.  I hope I’ve helped some.”

“I think you have.”  Gabriel stood up next to him and winked before he turned his back to leave.

Maybe Zeke was right, that he should have woken the younger alpha once Gabriel’s rut was over but he was too afraid.  It didn’t matter now.  He needed to gather himself and prepare for tonight.  Not like Mondays were anything special, but getting back into the swing of the club when Gabriel had been off for so long may be a bit more difficult than he’d expect.

He would find out soon enough.

\--------------------

Turned out that Gabriel was right.

Getting back into the flow of the bar was hard as hell—but it was mostly because he was still physically (and even more emotionally) exhausted.  No matter how easy a night it was, he never felt the momentum, but Zeke was right alongside him, picking up his slack.

Gabriel determined it was a good idea in the end—putting his faith in the other alpha because Zeke honestly wanted to help.  That’s what he’d wanted from the start of their friendship and he was there to see it through.  It was nice to have some reliable, it was kind of foreign, too.  Especially when Gabriel was used to dealing with flaky assholes like his brother.

There was one moment in the break room that Ezekiel asked Gabriel what he planned on doing when he got home, and he answered honestly with, “Depends if Sam’s awake or not.”

Zeke countered with, “And if he’s awake?”

“We’ll… talk, I guess.”

And since his “coffee date” with the alpha...Gabriel felt he _may_ justbe up to it.  Not _ready_ for it, by any means—but...up to it.  He owed it to the younger alpha.  After all, Gabriel had been the one to fuck up and if Sam was still willing to be with him after all of this, he owed him a conversation.  He owed him a hell of a lot more than that.

Ezekiel turned out to be a sneaky motherfucker, because when it came time for last call he told “Richard” he’d take care of closing out tabs, and for him to run along home.  After all, the earlier he was back, the better the chance of Sam being awake.  Sure, Gabriel could have driven around aimlessly and Sam would’ve been none the wiser, but it was time to man-up.

Still, when he was faced with their apartment door he froze.

The key was poised in his hand but...he just _couldn’t_ close the distance.

He wanted to kick himself, get himself hyped up and in gear!  But before the pep-talk worked its way into his limp arm…the door swung open all by itself.

And Gabriel was face to face with Sam Winchester…in a suit...?

“Hey,” Gabriel said, fisting the keys and squinting.  “The hell are you dressed up for?  They didn’t give you a presentation right out the gate, did they?”

“Nope.”  Sam ducked out of the doorway and when Gabriel still had yet to move he asked, “Are you coming in?  Or are you gonna sleep in the hallway?”

“Oh.  Right.”

He walked inside, kicked off his shoes and hung up his jacket to see all the lights were on and Sam had, indeed, been waiting.  Curiosity was eating him alive as he followed the man in and watched him take a seat at the kitchen table rather than the couch.  Apparently, Sam meant business.  Which didn’t look good for Gabriel.

Still, he sat obediently in front of him and waited.

If there was one thing Gabriel hated more than being on the chopping block, it was silence—he had hated it since fucking birth, which was why he talked so much: to fill in the empty spaces, and he was the first to break.

“So...you still haven’t explained the monkey suit.  Why are—”

“There are other things we need to talk about.”  There was a rigidness in Sam’s form and a nervousness in his tone.  “Gabe…I’m sorry.  I—”

“You do not—”

“Shut up.”  Sam abruptly stopped him with force, “Just let me talk for once, okay?  I _need_ to say this, and I need you to be quiet and wait until I’m done.  Can you do that?”

If Gabriel didn’t know just how serious the situation was, he would have been impressed by Sam’s alpha shining bright—but instead he just nodded.

“Thank you.”  He didn’t lose any of his fuel with the offhanded thanks, Sam plowed on ahead.  “I’m not gonna say I fucked up, because I said it enough and I know that’s not going to do anything to make you understand.  And I know why you KO’d me.  Because your alpha instinct was to protect me and that was the only way you could figure out how to do it.  So I’ll forgive you, if you forgive me.  Yes, _me_.”  The emphasis on the word was so strong before he continued.

“I put myself in a bad place.  I put myself in a position that I _never should have_ and I betrayed your trust.  In the moment, I was so lust-drunk and all I could think about was if—” these words were the first time he faltered, “ _if_ I was an omega… I could have pleased you _better_.  And for a split-second, I _hated_ that I was an alpha.  I don’t know why, it was a single second inside my own damn head that made me do it, and it was fucking stupid.  Then afterwards, I realized that I hadn’t _just_ hurt myself, I would have hurt you even more.”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about how it _would_ hurt you, Gabe.  And that was the last thing I wanted, because you give me everything and _this_ was how I rewarded you?  I knew it was gonna be bad, so I tried to avoid it.  I should have told you right away.  I should have explained myself and gotten it over with then, but...I’m just an alpha, too,” he laughed in self-deprecation.  “Which makes me pig-headed and stubborn.  I never should have thought that I could get away with it, because you know me better than I know myself.  I wish I could take it back, I wish I wasn’t impulsive, I wish I’d come clean rather than making it worse but I didn’t.  So…forgive me?”

Gabriel was speechless as he hung on Sam’s every word like he was asked to do, but he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel.

He was slow, sluggishly slow, to answer, “Sam…” but he had the man’s full attention.  “Everything you said, I get it.  But...I can’t make this feeling go away.  I’m hearing it, and logically; I understand everything.  But it _feels_ like it’s my fault.  I can’t describe it any better than that.”

“That’s…not fair.  On _either_ of us.”  Sam certainty slowly melted away and his scent shriveled up, like this was his last ditch effort and the hope he felt was gone.  Vanished like a wisp of smoke, dissipating into the air.

“I know it’s not, that’s another reason I’m sorry.   _Fuck_.”  Gabriel took another avenue and reached across the table to grab Sam's hand.  “I could fake it.  I’m _damn_ good at pretending I don’t care.  I could smile, pretend everything’s all right and you’d never know it.  But I care about you.   _Too much_.  I don’t want to have to put on that mask around you, kid.  Anyone else, it’d already be behind us.  We could have rainbows and ride fuckin’ unicorns—but I wanna be honest with you.  Unless you’d want the former.”

Sam glanced down at Gabriel’s urgent grasp on him with sadness and shook his head.  “No.  Then what we have...it wouldn’t be real.”

Gabriel’s breath caught in his chest when he thought Sam was pulling away from him, but he was really rearranging, so their hands could lock together.

Sam looked back up and asked, “What can we do to fix us?”

When Sam squeezed his hand, all Gabriel could come up with was, “It never happening again?”

“No shit.”  He huffed, because it was evident both men felt like nothing had been accomplished.

Sam felt like he’d just poured his heart out, he wanted to put Gabriel’s back together but it didn’t do a damn thing.  The void was sucking him up now and all the optimism he had was funneled down into it.  He shook his head, feeling strangely numb, and stood up—effectively removing himself from Gabriel.

As the alpha watched Sam leave, letting the suit jacket fall off his shoulders, he cursed himself over and over.

This was _not_ how this conversation was supposed to go.  At all.  Why did he have to fuck things up so badly?  But was he _supposed_ to lie?  Although Gabriel understood, he couldn’t exactly change how he felt at the drop of a hat.  God knows he _wanted_ to.

Gabriel was ready to call it quits, to wad up his work clothes and fall asleep on the couch because he was so pissed off at himself, when something caught his eye.

It was sitting next to where Sam had been perched at the table.  Gabriel knew he, himself, hadn’t left it there.  It was a folder with papers poking out of the top.    
  
Gabriel was a sucker for details, and he knew this _wasn’t_ one of Sam’s school folders.  Curiosity always won out, so Gabriel reached across the wooden surface and scooted it towards him.

When he opened it up, his heart fucking dropped because _these…_

These were the deeds to the house they discussed buying.

Signed (with Richard Novak’s obviously forged signature), sealed, delivered—it was _theirs_.

That’s where Sam had been.  And that’s why he was dressed up.

The tricky little minx must have gotten in touch with the realtor, posed as Gabriel (under the guise of Richard) and signed the last of the documents for the house!

There wasn’t a question in Sam’s mind that he still wanted this: their relationship, their life together, and now—the home of their dreams.    
  
Hell, he’d gone above and beyond.     
  
Sam had skipped class, setup a meeting (must have friggin hacked into Gabriel’s email to figure out what name he was even using to buy it!) and gotten everything done today.  As a show, a grand gesture, of his commitment to them.  When all Gabriel had asked for was a simple “yes” or “no” response.

That’s what Sam had been waiting to tell him after they’d talked.

Fuck.  Gabriel _couldn’t_ let Sam go to bed like this.  He _couldn’t_ let tonight end with the image of Sam's back turned, walking away from him with raw sorrow in his eyes.

Gabriel surged up from the chair, papers all but forgotten, and charged down the hall.

By the time he reached their room, Sam had taken off his dress pants and was nearly finished unbuttoning his dress shirt when he looked upon Gabriel with dismay and surprise.  But he didn’t have long to react, as the alpha all but tackled him to the bed, engulfing him in his arms and clinging onto Sam for dear life.   

With the breath knocked from his lungs, Sam had to fight to get out of his shirt.  He needed to get his arms free and grapple for Gabriel with the same kind of desperation, _God_ , did Sam need _him—_

They stayed there for what seemed like forever, refusing to let go, until Sam eventually said, “Are you wearing that to bed?”

Gabriel was slow to pull away, but chuckled, “Guess I should get outta these gross clothes and put on my PJs, huh?”

“Y-yeah.”  Sam watched him stand up, like he was terrified Gabriel was going to turn tail and leave, as he also finished stripping down the rest of the way and crawled into bed wearing his boxers.

As soon as Gabriel was in his flannel pants, he attempted to keep himself from rushing back but he couldn’t help it.  He hurried under the covers, latched onto Sam—holding him from behind—and tangled their limbs together.  Gabriel buried his face in Sam’s neck and finally felt somewhat normal again when he scented Sam’s beautiful relief.  There were undertones of things he didn’t want to think about, but they’d get past them.  This was a process, not a flipped light switch.

But he did know one thing:

“I love you, kid.”

Sam craned his neck and captured Gabriel’s lips in a kiss that he needed _so_ fucking _badly_.  They both did.  The weight of the day was easing them into the mattress and Gabriel’s warmth surrounding Sam was more than enough.

“I love you so much.”  The words were hushed but overwhelmed by meaning—Sam hoped Gabriel understood, he prayed that _something_ he said today got through to him.

“Looks like we got a house,” Gabriel whispered, kissing his cheek, “Mr. _Novak_.”

“Yeah.  Yeah, we do.”

Gabriel could feel Sam’s smile against his lips and it made him smile brightly.  “Let’s talk about the move in the morning.”

“I’d like that.”

“Me too.”    
  
Gabriel's heart skipped a beat, finally being able to hold Sam again and fall asleep next to him for the first time in days.  He knew that they had a road in front of them, but at least they were traveling down it together.  This was the first step, and wrapped in Sam's limbs, listening to his breaths evening out...it was the best sleep he'd gotten in _weeks,_ being able to sleep straight through the night, pressed flush against the only thing he cared about in the world.  
  
They _would_ salvage this.


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

Ten days.

They had ten days to be gone from this apartment, and a laundry list of shit to complete, but it didn’t simply have to do with the move.  It had to do with rebuilding their relationship.

Sure, moving boxes and renting out a truck was small time, but mending the torn seams between the two alphas was going to take a lot more finesse.  Gabriel knew most of it, if not _all_ of it, was on his shoulders.  Which was why he was determined to fix as much as he could before they moved into the house.

God, did he want a fresh start.

He wanted to be over this bullshit, leaving all the negative energy and the bad memories behind at the apartment.  Gabriel wanted, more than anything, to build their new life together with a clean slate.

Which was why he was internally implementing this  _Ten-Day Policy._

Sam had no idea what he was doing, but Gabriel was making it a motherfucking mission.  He _wasn’t_ going to fail his boyfriend, he _would_ turn everything around and make him happy.    
  
Buying the house was a huge step, and _Sam_ had been the one to go out of his way to make it happen.   _Sam_ had been the one who sealed the deal, signing on the dotted line.  Gabriel already knew his boyfriend was committed.

Now it was Gabriel’s turn to make it worthwhile.

\--------------------

Day one began with the pair slowly waking up together after a sorry attempt at reconciliation.  Yet, it was the first time they’d shared a bed in four days.  So Gabriel cherished every moment of it.  In fact, that morning was when he created his plan—while his lips were on Sam’s neck and the sun was barely rising.

It was still dim in the room but it didn’t surprise him that Sam was stirring this early.  After all, he’d gotten a surplus of sleep, probably enough for the entire week.  Gabriel didn’t mind the wake-up call, because the thing that jarred him were Sam’s arms pulling him in closer, seeking warmth.  Dammit, he was happy to oblige.

Even though Gabriel was running on four hours, he could always take a nap later—right now he needed this.

Gabriel needed the soft touches, the way their hands gently skated across one another’s skin accompanied by random, light kisses.  Everything served as a reminder that they were still here.  No one had backed out or run away.  It was strange—exchanging scent for sensation in this early hours, but it was welcome.

Hell, it was perfect.

Gabriel made sure to follow Sam’s lead, and it was almost as though the younger alpha was acting unconsciously.  His eyes were barely opened, but his focus was wandering like he was still dreaming.  The specific thing Gabriel noticed more than anything?  Was that Sam’s scent was _happy_.

It was night and day from last night, and that happened to be why Gabriel was softly mouthing at his neck.  He didn’t know how much of this he’d be able to get away with once Sam’s brain caught up with him about…well, _everything_.

Sam’s hand trailed along Gabriel’s jaw line and traced shapes on his chest while he pulled him closer.  In the process, he managed to move Gabriel halfway on top of him.  If everything wasn’t so chaste and pure, there may have been warning bells going off in Gabriel’s head, but that’s exactly what everything was.

Comforting.  Sweet.

Sure, there may have been some morning wood but neither of them were rutting together.  That wasn’t the point here.

This was about reassurance, the press of their bodies together, and _feeling_.

Maybe, just maybe, that was their downfall—constantly getting too caught up in their heads and taking for granted these little things.

How fucking _right_ they felt together.  How everything made sense in these moments.  How everything inside them screamed that _this was right_.  That this was _it_.

Gabriel couldn’t help but maneuver himself just a little further, so they were touching on every exposed expanse of skin.  He felt like they just couldn’t get close enough, but, oh, this helped.  It also helped when their lips finally brushed together.

It was then that Sam became a little more active, maybe he was finally waking up, or maybe he simply couldn’t hold back anymore.  He tilted his chin up to meet Gabriel’s lips with assertion, parting them with his tongue, but demanding nothing.  His scent told Gabriel as much, Sam just craved a deeper level of connection.

There may have been the barest hints of sexual undertones, but his scent was exuding longing and hope.  Fuck, Gabriel prayed his blockers held through the few hours of sleep he got because it made his heart _ache_.  So help him, he grabbed Sam’s cheeks and kissed him harder with all the intent and love he could propel into it.

Sam’s arms, now released, to wrap around the other alpha’s back and hold him there, still believing Gabriel could disappear at any moment.  It was obvious by the way his hand dug into Gabriel’s shoulder blades and not his nails—this was something different.    
  
He was still afraid.

Just that thought had Gabriel forcefully pulling out of range (even though Sam chased after him) and ducked close to his ear, whispering, “Don’t worry, kid.  We’re gonna be fine.”

Instead of letting up on his grasp or using words, Sam hauled Gabriel down until their chests were flush and he continued to hold him there.  Once he realized Sam wasn’t going to ease his grip anytime soon, Gabriel made peace with the awkward angle of his own arms and relaxed his body from within the stranglehold.  If this was what Sam needed, he’d give it to him, whether he was pinned like a damn chicken or not.

Gabriel grinned at the thought, kissed Sam’s cheek and made himself as comfortable as possible.

\---------------------

Day two proved to be...trying.

It was a Wednesday, Sam had early morning classes, and Gabriel had taken it upon himself to hunt down boxes to begin packing.    
  
During that time, he realized that he fucking _loathed_ packing.

It just…wasn’t something that he was good at.  Freakin’ terrible, actually.

Gabriel was used to living with whatever he could carry in a duffle bag, ducking in and out of safe houses, always being on the run.  Apparently he had accumulated a bunch of shit in this apartment.  Things he never thought he’d have and call his own.

Shit like dishes, linens, DVDs, cleaning supplies, along with electronics, books (why the fuck did he have _books_?!) and way more clothing than he’d ever owned in his life.  And he didn’t want to _think_ about the fucking furniture!  This was a goddamn nightmare...     
  
Halfway through packing Gabriel thought about burning everything to the ground, coming up with a bizarre kitchen-fire excuse, and then going on a shopping spree to get all new shit.

It would save him the headache.

Plus, it wasn’t like he was _that_ sentimental and he _was_ still swimming in cash...

One thing he hoped Sam didn’t notice when he signed for the house, was that Gabriel had paid for it in full…friggin Sam showing up to sign the contract was something he’d never accounted for.    
  
_However_ , if he knew Sam like he thought he did, the kid would have been too busy trying to pretend to be Gabriel.  He wouldn't be looking over the numbers and the fine print.  After all, Gabriel set the bar pretty high with his persona and watching Sam struggle to imitate him would have been fucking _amazing_.

He was wrestling with one of the boxes when he heard a voice behind him ask, “What did that cardboard ever do to you?” in amusement.

Gabriel peered over his shoulder with a glare from where he sat on the ground, packaging tape clinging to his bicep, when he growled, “It fucking existed!”

Sam began laughing.  To the point that he doubled over and braced himself on his knees.  Then he ambled over to the couch, sat down and crossed his legs with a wave of his arm and said, “Please, continue.”

“Is this funny to you?!”  Gabriel kicked the box and it went sliding across the floor.  “Screw packing!  I never should have taken the night off for this bullshit.”

“You mean there’s something you’re not excellent at?” Sam asked with wide, fake-shocked eyes.  “Wow.  Never thought I’d see the day.”

“I hate you.  I’m not a trick monkey, stop treatin’ me like entertainment!”  With a dramatic tumble to the ground, Gabriel spread out and looked at the ceiling.  “Can’t we, like, hire someone to do this?”

“Sorry to break it to you, but everyone packs boxes.  It‘s part of being human.”  There was the noise of footsteps and Sam had placed his feet on either side of Gabriel’s hips, looking down at him.  Then he cast his eyes over to judge his janky work.  “God.  Are you _really_ this terrible?”

“Jesus, are you _really_ this tall?”  He squinted up at the other alpha, “From down here, you really do look like a Sasquatch!”

Bitchface engaged, Sam kicked him lightly in the leg and rolled his eyes.  “You’re an ass.”

“You should turn around.  I’d like to see your ass from this angle,” Gabriel quipped with a devilish grin.

Sam wiped a hand down his face with a, “Oh my God,” then reached for Gabriel’s to help him up and offered, “Do you want me to do the dirty work?”

Once he reached his feet, the alpha inquired, “Depends how dirty.”

Unaffected, Sam decided, “I’ll pack up and you make dinner.  Does that sound like a fair trade?”

“Fuck yes, you’re an angel!”  He let out a deep breath, not quite sure how to tell Sam how thankful he was.

Because now he was second-guessing himself.  On the showing-his-thanks front.

What Gabriel _wanted_ was to haul him into a raunchy kiss.  To grab his ass.  To promise him an amazing blowjob tonight.  But…could he do any of those things?  Everything was still so fucking fresh, tentative, and he didn’t want to risk it.

Gabriel hadn’t realized he was still holding his hand and Sam had raised an eyebrow as he watched him.  A hand that Gabriel quickly dropped and turned around on his heels to abruptly head into the kitchen.

He forced a, “I’ll see what I can make with the shit in the fridge!” and opened the door, shoving his head inside because he probably looked like a lunatic.

“…Okay.”  Sam’s voice was a bit puzzled, but gained confidence when he said, “I’ll just pick up where you left off.”

“Sounds lovely!” Gabriel said almost too quickly, then made himself focus.  He needed check out the real ingredients he was working with to prepare something.

God, he was acting like an idiot!

Sam helped immensely and easily doubled up on any work Gabriel would've bitched, moaned and struggled through.  Luckily, he was able to opt out and make them both happy with an excellent dinner, but things took a turn by the end of the night.  When they went to bed, everything was…stilted.

It wasn’t because it paled in comparison to last night, or even this morning, it was because Sam had gotten _too much_ sleep and Gabriel, himself, was too sleep _deprived_.

While one alpha would have been out like a light, the other was tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable and he was equally uncomfortable asking Gabriel to help.  Whether it be holding him or, hinting at what he really wanted—sex—Sam knew was off the table for however fucking long it took Gabriel to get over this and forgive him.  Which he already figured in the back of his mind was going to be a long fucking time.

Sam knew he was keeping his boyfriend up…but he literally could _not_ find any position that would satisfy him for any longer than two minutes.  Even though he felt like an asshole, this kind of was Gabriel’s fault.  It sure as hell hadn’t been Sam’s idea to sleep for days on end.  Last night he’d been so emotionally destroyed he’d had no problem passing out, but today had been alright.  It had been...good, in a way.

Apparently, ‘alright’ and any amount of ‘good’ meant “sleep isn't in your forecast, Winchester, go fuck yourself.”  To which he would have replied, “I wish.”

Eventually, Gabriel grumbled out, “You okay?” which was probably the nicest way he could have phrased it.  Given the fact Sam had probably kept him up for at least two hours past their normal bedtime.

“Sorry.”  Sam fell onto his back and stared up to the ceiling he’d gotten over-familiar with.  “Fuck, I’ll go try to sleep on the couch, I’m being a pain in the ass, I’ll—”

“Hey, you’re fine.”  His voice was surprisingly patient as he ran a hand through the younger alpha’s hair.  “Can I help?”

Even though that was exactly what Sam had been hoping for this whole time, he couldn’t say any of the things he really meant.

Sam settled on, “Not really.”

“Yer lying.”  Gabriel called him out right away.

With a jerk of his head, Sam met concerned golden eyes and emphasized, “Trust me, Gabe.  Anything I ask right now?  You’re gonna say no to.”  Then he sat up and sighed, “I’ll let you sleep, I know I’m gonna be tossing and turning for a while.”

And, _shit_ , if that didn’t stab Gabriel right in the fucking heart.  Although he wasn't stupid, he knew damn well what Sam was hinting at, and the part that hurt was Sam wouldn’t be wrong.  Still, Gabriel sat up in bed, grabbed Sam’s wrist and pulled him into a kiss.

When they parted, Gabriel pressed, “If you get tired, come back.  I’ll even be your little spoon.”

With a small smile, Sam cooed, “How sweet,” as he stood up and grabbed one of the comforters from the closet.

Even though Gabriel fell into a deep sleep the second Sam left, he had that image of him walking away seared into his eyelids.  And he hated it.

He had no idea how long it took the other alpha to fall asleep, but he knew one thing.

Sam never came back to bed.

\------------------------

Gabriel couldn’t believe how long he’d slept in on day three, and when he came out of his room stretching, Sam was already perched at the computer with a cup of coffee, avidly typing.  He ruffled Sam's hair on the way in and headed towards the smell of coffee to get himself a cup.  When he turned back around, the alpha was still hyper-focused.

“Did you get any sleep?” He tried it as an ice-breaker, and Sam’s response was a shrug.

“What do you want for breakfast?”  Gabriel tried again.

“I already had some cereal.”  Sam was in some strange school-mode fog, or at least that's what Gabriel could deduct.

So he shrugged his shoulders and decided cereal sounded as good as anything.  He went ahead and grabbed a bowl and looked in the cupboard but—

The words, “I ate the last of it,” rang through the room.

“Oh.  Alrighty.”  Gabriel clucked his tongue and shut the wooden door, his eyes glancing back at Sam.

Was he holding some kind of grudge?  Had his fear turned into resentment in the late hours of the night?  Those were the prime-times most people over-thought problems.  When their insecurities ate them alive, whether they were relevant or not.    
  
No, Gabriel _had_ to tell himself Sam was probably just working on some project and he was...distracted.  Although after last night’s dinner and now the breakfast situation, Gabriel needed to do some shopping.  At least it wouldn’t be a huge trip, considering they only had seven more days—

_Seven_.

Fuck.  That was _one week_ , and Gabriel wasn’t making the headway he wanted.  If anything, they were backtracking.  But...last night hadn’t been either one of their faults, he had to remind himself of that.  Gabriel just wanted to talk to Sam and make sure he was all right, if his face wasn’t currently stuffed in that goddamn computer.

Gabriel didn’t know how long he’d been staring at him, but when Sam shut the top of the laptop his eyes were on him and they were confused.

“Anything wrong?”

Gabriel huffed a small laugh and admitted, “I was gonna ask you that, actually.”

With a small shrug, Sam neutrally said, “Nah, I’m good.  Sorry about the stealing your breakfast.  I’m gonna take a shower then meet up with a friend on campus to go over a project.”

“Oh, hey,” Gabriel had to interrupt.  “You know what today is?”

Sam shook his head while he packed his bag, seemingly more interested in that task than what Gabriel had to say.  Which kind of rubbed him the wrong way, but Gabriel brushed it off.

“We get the keys.”  He deliberately raised his voice, thinking if anything could shake Sam out of whatever daze he was in, this was it.

And it worked.

“Really?”  Sam abruptly froze in his task and finally, _really_ looked at Gabriel.

“Yep.  Thought you woulda read the documents you were signing.”  He winked, rounded the table until he was right up in Sam’s personal space.  “I’ve got an earlier shift tonight but I was thinking about shuttling some of your Grade-A box-stuffing over tomorrow.  Does that sound like a plan?”

Finally, Sam nodded and then after a thoughtful moment wondered aloud, “We’ve got this huge test on Monday, so a bunch of us were going to take Friday as a study day and help each other with this thesis paper at the library.“  He chewed his lip, “But maybe I could work it out that I could go with you.  I mean, it's not like it's _class_ I‘m skipping…”

“Yeah?”  Gabriel raised an eyebrow, “But a huge study sess for me?  That’s an even bigger step than the damn house!”

“Shut up.”  A grin was working its way onto Sam’s face.  “We’ll see.”

With a peck on the cheek and an encouraging, “Go take your shower and do your business,” Gabriel stepped out of the way to give him a path and finished with, “I’ll pick up the keys before I head to work.”

Sam was smiling and opened his mouth to say something…only to abruptly close it.  Gabriel tilted his head in confusion, almost to prompt him, but the other alpha escaped before he could be interrogated.  Which made Gabriel sigh in defeat and turn around to top off his coffee.

All this hot and cold shit was beginning to really wear on him.

However, later that day when he got the keys from the realtor (who looked at him funny, when he had to explain that he was “Richard Novak’s boyfriend” and he was running an errand for him) he couldn’t help feeling a boost of success.  It _had_ involved a little bit of sweet-talking and a touch of true alpha influence to wrangle the damn keys from her, but in the end it worked out.  Shit, having those  _physically_ in his pocket?

Felt fucking amazing.  His mood was on the upswing—

Even though Zeke sent him questioning glances when he went into work.

Gabriel went through the motions, it wasn’t a particularly busy night but it was busy enough that it kept his friend from interrogating him.  To be honest, Gabriel didn’t have much to say or report.  He’d already told Ezekiel they’d talked and it didn’t go well, but they didn’t break up.  They were on the verge of fixing things, but the more time passed the more Gabriel felt he was in no-man’s land.

That was something Zeke would take and run with.

And…Gabriel just didn’t want to get into it with him.

He knew he had to act, he had to do something to pull Sam out of whatever headspace he was in.

Gabriel figured his first mission was to make sure the stubborn-ass didn’t choose the couch tonight.

It didn’t matter how much sleep Gabriel did or didn’t get, he _refused_ to let Sam feel he had to isolate himself if he was having a bad night.  That’s how habits got started.  And, unfortunately, this was a direct byproduct of something Gabriel had done to him and now “couldn’t help him with.”

Once he made it safely through the shift, waved Zeke off before he could corner him, he headed home.

To find Sam _on the fucking couch_.

Gabriel groaned dramatically and decided on the perfect wake up call.  Which happened to be pulling the keys to their new house from his coat jacket and jingling them right next to Sam’s ear.

The alpha jumped up with alarmed, then narrowed his eyes at Gabriel’s shit-eating grin.

With a waggle of his eyebrows, he asked, “Wanna touch ‘em?”

“You’re a jackass!” Sam spat, although he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the glint of brass.

He swiftly snatched the set from Gabriel’s taunting grasp and examined them with a smile and a timid, “I told them.”

A frown flashed on Gabriel’s face, as he echoed, “Told them...what?”

“I couldn't make the study group.”  Sam groaned in a patronizing drawl, “I’ll come help move in tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah?”  It was Gabriel’s turn for his eyes to light up, but then he ripped the keys right back and slapped them on the coffee table.  “You know what I see?”

“What?”  Sam was hesitant to ask.

“I see a beautiful sleep-savvy boyfriend on a couch he doesn’t need to be on.”  Gabriel boxed the other alpha in with his arms.  “Now, why is that?”

The younger alpha looked downright nervous for some reason, especially when Gabriel leaned in closer.  Sam finally blurted, “I can’t keep my hands to myself, all right?!  And I don’t want you to freak out on me.  I couldn’t handle that.”

Gabriel’s jaw dropped and he asked incredulously, “Who said you needed to keep your hands to yourself, kid?  I don’t remember writing that rule down anywhere.”

Sam wasn’t making eye contact.  In fact, he was looking everywhere that wasn’t Gabriel—which was a feat in and of itself, considering their close proximity.  But finally, Gabriel had enough and grabbed Sam’s jaw, forcing their eyes together and Sam’s scent twisted up with vulnerability.

“Yeah...” Sam abruptly cleared his throat.  “You kinda heavily implied it.  Emphasis on the _heavy_ part.”

“So you’ve erected an invisible force field around yourself and no one’s allowed in or out?  Because you think it may have perhaps, possibly, maybe been suggested?”  He raised an unimpressed eyebrow.  “Sam, you’re not the one I’m worried about, I thought that was the whole point of everything.”

“No, that was _your_ whole point of everything.”  His scent flickered into something completely different, and Gabriel needed to turn this around before it started a fight, they were headed that way and fucking _fast_.

“Come to bed,” Gabriel whispered tenderly and kissed his forehead.  “You don’t have to keep your hands to yourself.  So there.  It’s a rule, alright?  No freaking, no nothin‘.  You’ve got free reign over me and everything that comes with me.  Is that okay?”

Thank God, Sam’s scent fizzled out but his eyes were wide when he asked in disbelief, “You mean that, don’t you?”

“Wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t, right?”  Gabriel began to pull his boyfriend to his feet.  “C’mon.  I ain’t gonna take it back either.  I’m yours.  Now that you can sleep?  And you’ve got hot hands?  I fully expect you to cuddle the fuck out of me.”

Finally, as they settled into bed, Sam flashed a wide smile.  He promptly tucked himself around Gabriel and rested his head in the crook of his neck, tangling their legs together.  God, did this feel amazing.  

What felt even better was the goodnight kiss and Sam’s sincere, “I love you, Gabe,” which the other alpha eagerly reciprocated.

Finally, Gabriel’s heart could relax for the first time in days.

\-----------------------

Day four began with Sam pressing some boundaries.

But in his defense, Gabriel _had_ given him liberties the night before.  In the moment, it had been to bring Sam back to bed, to give him reassurance—but at the current moment, the little shit had no problem running with Gabriel’s words and exploiting them.  

At the same time, there was a voice in the back of Gabriel’s mind that this was a bridge that _needed_ to be crossed, it was a hurdle they needed to jump.  And if it was _Sam_ who was instigating?  That was most definitely for the best.  Plus, Gabriel couldn’t deny that he was enjoying every fucking second of it.

Maybe it was because they had an exciting day of moving into their house ahead of them.  Or maybe Sam had just woken up plain ol’ excited.

Either way, his hands were underneath Gabriel’s shirt while he sucked at the juncture of his shoulders and neck with the scent of arousal in the air.

Sam’s touch was hot and somewhat lazy, but his mouth was acting deliberately and the occasional rock of his pelvis against Gabriel’s ass was melting his resolve at an alarming rate.    
  
He couldn’t figure out if being positioned as the little spoon was in Sam’s grand plan or not, but the way the younger alpha’s nails were scraping along his hips and teasing the elastic band on his boxers was driving Gabriel  _insane_.

The only way he could stop Sam was by using his voice, since his arms were tucked uselessly under the pillow, and to be honest…he really _didn’t_ want to stop.  Although he was still a little nervous (straight-up gun-shy was the word) about, well, everything.  Sam...didn’t hold the same reservations.  Which worked in Gabriel’s favor.

Except for the part that his cock was achingly hard, and it was taking all his self-control _not_ to spin around and pin Sam to the bed.  But Gabriel held strong.  Even if he had to grab onto his restraint with everything he had.

He let Sam continue to grind against him and tease his tongue along the shell of his ear.  Gabriel sharply inhaled when Sam’s hand dipped into his boxers and grazed his naked inner thigh.  Was he waiting for Gabriel to break?  Was that amusement he scented?    
  
Yep.  That was _definitely_ amusement, the little shit.

Gabriel rocked back against Sam’s erection, drawing a moan from the alpha who hadn’t been expecting it.  Maybe this _was_ a test—so Gabriel decided to be a jackass in return and give his boyfriend the friction he wanted.

“ _Fuck—_ ” Sam gasped out, but instead of steadying himself on Gabriel’s hips like the other alpha thought he would, he wrapped his hand around Gabriel’s cock.

Which choked a moan out of Gabriel’s own throat.

But Sam didn’t stop there.  After a few jerks, he yanked Gabriel’s boxer’s down, rolled on top of him, and fisted their erections together.  There was determination and a sense of defiance set in the younger alpha’s eyes, like he was challenging Gabriel to tell him no—but that was the last thing on his mind.  Gabriel bucked up into the touch and surged forward to kiss Sam as he jacked them off together.

Gabriel didn’t hesitate to let Sam know through a series of wanton whimpers and praises just how good it felt in the scarce moments their mouths weren’t glued together.  It was important to let him know this _was_ right.  

If Sam wanted it, it was _more_ than all right.

Sam’s hand was gliding easily because of the precum leaking between both their cocks and Gabriel could feel the rigid form of their swelling knots bumping up next to one another.  When Sam pulled away from Gabriel he watched him with hungry, beautiful eyes and kept glancing somewhere very specific with trepidation.

Apparently, this was another something Gabriel would have to address.

He would have rolled his eyes, if Sam’s hand didn’t feel so fucking amazing, and he wasn’t so close to knotting his fist.

“Y-yeah,” he confirmed to the wanting, desperate man over top of him, “You can.”

With a half-second look of confusion, Sam began, “Wha—?”

Only to be cut off with a sharp thrust into his hand and Gabriel’s forceful order of, “Mark me.”

Sam’s hungry eyes turned downright feral and he wasted no time ducking forward and wrapping his mouth around the base of Gabriel’s neck.  It was like a goddamn shock wave that had the alpha thrusting off the bed, both men shooting cum between them mere seconds apart.  Sam had released both their cocks, apparently having linked up perfectly, and traded it for a fistful of Gabriel’s hair and an arm wrapped around his waist

His mouth hovered over the slightly raised skin and kissed the bruising flesh as he came back down, then happily looked over to Gabriel.

Who was grinning widely.

“What?” Sam laid his head down on the alpha’s other shoulder.  “You said—”

“Yep.  I did.  And I’m proud of it.”

“Good.”  He quickly countered, because Sam looked to be expecting some kind of argument but everything was exceptionally…genuine.

Until Gabriel opened his damn mouth.  “You just love putting yer stamp on me.  It’s adorable.”

“I can’t help it!”  Sam defended weakly, “Hey, _you_ got off on it too.  Always do.  So you have no defense.  You like wearing my ‘stamp’ just as much.”

“Touche.”  He hummed wistfully, then brushed a kiss on Sam’s forehead.  “Today’s a big day.  Couldn’t think of a better way to start it.”

Even though Gabriel couldn’t see it, Sam’s giant smile hadn’t weaned a bit as he relaxed his body against the other alpha's.  He really was pushing boundaries, hoping he hadn’t fucked up beyond repair and if Gabriel was all right with this?    
  
A new house meant _christening_.  And neither could argue with that.  To Sam, the morning had been a matter of testing the waters with Gabriel, and the results had been positive thus far.  

Sam really wanted the day off to spend every moment with Gabriel.  To feel each other out.  And since the morning had gone so well, there would definitely be more boundaries to push as the day progressed.    
  
At least, if everything went according to his plans.  And Sam had _many_ plans, the other alpha just didn’t know it yet.

\-------------------------------

It took multiple trips in Gabriel’s car to unload the mass-amount of boxes.    
  
The moving truck to haul furniture was scheduled for Tuesday morning—at the butt crack of dawn so Sam could help before class—today's trip was all about the little stuff.  While Gabriel had to pack all his belongings, Sam had never really _unpacked_  much of his own stuff from his old apartment.   
  
Today was transferring the tedious things.  They felt pretty damn productive getting this part out of the way.  Baby steps, and all that.  Plus, they could fully setup the kitchen, really dig into the bathroom and begin work on the bedroom.

Even though there wasn’t a bed or a dresser yet.

“Whatcha doing?” Gabriel inquired while he unloaded the silverware into the drawer, glancing over his shoulder to where Sam was leaning against a wall.

“Making a list,” Sam responded, typing into his phone.  “Of the stuff we can use Dean’s gift card for.”

“Yeah?  You mean we can’t just get fun stuff?” Gabriel teased on instinct.  “That’s the fun of _gift cards_!”

With a two second bitchface, Sam returned to his phone and reminded him, “We’ve got so much more space than in your apartment.  This place is _awesome_ , we need to take advantage of it!  Unless you want to fill the spare room with a blowup mattress and leave the extra bathroom empty.”

“You’re loving this.”  Gabriel couldn’t keep the mischief from his voice _or_ the impish grin off his face.  “My little interior designer.  Do you watch those home decorating shows when I’m not looki—”

“Shut up.”  Sam jammed his phone into his pocket and walked over towards the untouched boxes marked “kitchen.”  “Maybe I’m in the zone.”

Sam crouched down and tore at the tape to open them, unveiling the coffee pot and mugs wrapped and stuffed with newspaper.  Sam, with his long arms, sat the cups next to the sink without standing and then unloaded the machine.  

Right before he got up, he smacked Gabriel in the ass and quickly ducked to the other side of the kitchen and innocently inquired, “Still wanna put this over here?”

Gabriel was already studying him with a glint in his eye and slowly confirmed, “I _am_ a creature of habit, after all.  You know me too well.”

“Okay.”  Sam smirked back, right before he burst out, almost scandalized, “ _Hey_!  You need to rinse those, at least!” as he watched Gabriel put the mugs right into the cupboards.

Gabriel froze, mid-motion, and then back tossed his head back cackling before he turned the faucet on.  He continued laughing as Sam huffed back over and went for the box he knew the hand towels were in and tore it open.

“What’s so funny?!” he demanded, because Gabriel laughter had yet to wean.

“This.  Us.  You.  So fucking adorable and _domestic_.  I just…I fucking _love it._ ”  He shook his head with the biggest smile Sam had seen on his face in a damn long time.  “Just makes me happy, ‘s all.”

Sam paused with the fabric in his hand and decided to wad it up and throw it as Gabriel’s face, prompting, “Yeah?”

He easily caught it and set it next to the sink.  “Fuck yeah.  Come here, Mom.”

“Only if you _never_ call me that again,” he countered, with his hands on his hips.

With a wink, Gabriel agreed, “Promise.”

Sam followed his direction and closed the distance between them.  Gabriel caught the young alpha by the back of the neck and tugged him down for a sweet kiss.    
  
Instantly, Sam melted into it and wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s, his scent amazing and filled with pure joy.  Sam couldn’t have been happier his boyfriend had actually agreed to go without blockers today.  They knew it was a little bit of a risk, but Gabriel had done it for Sam, knowing he owed him and it was the least he could do.  Extending an olive branch of sorts.

And, fuck, he was happy he did.  This was something Sam missed terribly, because the last time he’d taken in Gabriel’s scent it was full of the worst things Sam had _ever_ experienced scenting in his life—let alone coming from the man he loved.  Today, everything had turned around.  God, he hoped it would stay that way.

He wanted to stay right here, lost in _this_  moment, because nothing had been perfect like this in a long time.

\----------------------------

Day five was a Saturday, and since Sam had missed his date with his study buddies he was buried up to his neck in homework and school shit.  Gabriel would have felt bad…

If they didn’t have such a great fucking day together.

Call it selfish, call it whatever you wanted, but they really bonded when they moved all the boxes they had prepared over to the new house.  It was all beginning to come together (minus the big stuff) and it felt like they were building 'them' back up.  Like _they_ were coming together, too.  

Late that night, Gabriel had stopped by the grocery store so they actually had food to eat for the last five days in the apartment (holy hell, it was the halfway mark!) and they didn’t starve to death.  They’d decided to move all their dishes and cutlery to get it over with, so part of grocery shopping included paper plates and plastic silverware.    
  
It was kind of cute, Gabriel felt the broke-college-vibe for a hot second and could scent the stressed-college-vibe from Sam.

It was one of his late nights at the bar, he figured it would be good to get out of Sam's hair for a while and let him focus on his studies.  Although he did offer to help with flashcards and quizzing.

Which Sam took him up on.

They had a pretty damn good system, and Gabriel had an even better system for bolstering Sam’s confidence when he was second-guessing himself.  As long as he helped with Sam’s test-preparedness?  Gabriel knew his boyfriend would knock the paper out of the park.

As Gabriel was pulling on his shirt, complete with tacky bar logo, and was about to head out, he noticed a shadow in the doorway.

“Hey, you here for the peep show?”  He winked shamelessly and grabbed the belt that was still laying on the bed.

“Always.”  Sam chuckled then looked hesitant as he asked, “So I was wondering…if I get my paper done early, you mind if I went out for a drink?  It‘s just been, like, _really_ stressful and I‘m not looking to get drunk, just unwind.”

Gabriel felt a chill run down his spine and was thankful his scent was blocked, he had to keep his voice even as he conversationally asked, “Oh, like your friends every week?  You don‘t have to ask my permission, kid.”

He _had_ to remind himself Jess would be there.  Sam would be safe.  Brady was still scared shitless of him—

But then Sam threw him a curve-ball and dryly laughed out, “No, I was gonna come visit you.  That’s why I asked.  Uh, because I was wondering if there was anything I needed to know.  Because your alias.”

“Wait.”  Gabriel turned around to face him with confusion on his face, “You wanna come to a strip bar?”

“I wanna see _you_ , jackass.”  Sam rolled his eyes, like Gabriel was the slow one.  “Plus, I figured the drinks would be cheaper and I haven’t gotten a chance to really visit you at work.  Like I said, it’d only be if I finished my paper and drinking alone here would be…depressing.”

With a smirk, Gabriel nodded, “Hell yeah, you can come visit!  And drinks’ll be free, weirdo.  Plus, Zeke asks about you _all_ the fuckin’ _time_ , it’d probably be good for you to show your mug.”

“So nothing else I need to know?” Sam crossed his arms as Gabriel finished dressing with a skip in his step.

“Nah, just the name thing.  And I guess they all think I’m a beta.  Mostly because I haven’t corrected them.  Ezekiel’s the only one who knows the truth,” he admitted with the shrug of his shoulders.

“Wait, the _truth_ , truth?”  His eyes were wide at the implications.

“He’s a good friend.  Probably my best friend.  I figured I should get it out there.  At the time, it was a make it or break it thing—and homeboy?  He didn’t even bat an eye.” Gabriel hummed thoughtfully, “Surprised the hell out of me, too.  He’s good people.”  Then, liking the idea more and more Gabriel invaded Sam’s personally space and boldly flicked his tongue against the other man’s lips.  “Now yer getting my hopes up and I wanna see you.”

There were the barest hints of lust in Sam’s eyes and his scent as he watched Gabriel and mumbled, “Then don’t distract me.  Won’t be able to focus on the damn paper if all I can think about is you.”

“Roger that!”  But Gabriel had yet to break their eye contact because he _thoroughly_ enjoyed this game.

Sam’s eyes narrowed, mentally saying ‘fuck it’ and surged down to crash their mouths together.  He worried Gabriel’s lips with his teeth and sucked just on the right side of rough, which had the alpha’s hands flying out to grab Sam’s hips.  Gabriel couldn’t help but moan into the touch and give back just as hard as he was getting.

But, dammit, he was going to be late for work!

Gabriel had to physically tear himself away, heart and breath racing, and hating himself for it because Sam’s flushed face was beautiful.

He reached up and patted the younger alpha’s cheek, telling him, “Get that paper done, yeah?”

“I hate you,” Sam groused and moved out of the doorway so Gabriel could bypass him.

“I hate myself right now, too.  Because a boner in these pants is my favorite thing in the goddamn universe!”  Gabriel sang out with a melody and went for his coat, trying to think of other things besides his gorgeous boyfriend behind him.

When he thought he had himself under control, he turned around and winked.  “Hope I see you soon, sexy.”

Sam was still visibly flustered and nodded.  “We’ll see,” as he awkwardly walked over to the table where his laptop was placed.

Gabriel blew a kiss and was out the door, both anticipation and excitement buzzing through his system.  Shit, Gabriel prayed this panned out!


End file.
